Taking a Chance
by skittlesmomma27
Summary: Beth's life took a major detour while she was in college but now she is making the most of what the world dealt her. Daryl never was given a chance growing up but now he's proving to small-town Georgia that being born a Dixon doesn't determine how you turn out in the world. What will happen when their worlds collide? Read and find out! My first attempt at an AU/No Zombie story.
1. Chapter 1

**_This story idea just wouldn't leave me alone until I put fingers to keyboard. Please don't get too technical with the details as I tried to stick as close to real life situations, regulations, and laws but some creative license was required to make the story line possible. Hope you enjoy the new story idea. I own nothing except this story idea._**

**_March 2018_**

**Beth**

"Mama!" Aurora called through the baby monitor that had become a permanent item on my nightstand since my babies moved into Shawn's room over a year ago. Blinking my eyes open I groaned when I realized the sun wasn't even up yet. Tapping the screen of my tablet I saw that my precious baby girl was standing in her crib with her blanket clutched tightly in her hand while her brother slept peacefully in the other crib.

Rubbing a fist against my eyes I sat up swinging my legs over the edge of my bed. "I'm coming, early bird." I grumble as I slip my feet into my horseshoes while also slipping my robe over my tank top 2nd night shorts.

I couldn't help but smile as I silently cracked open the bedroom door to peek in at my red-haired green-eyed baby girl. Her face lit up with a bright smile when she saw me through the small gap in the door. The red hair and green eyes had to come from their father because everybody in my family had either blonde hair or brown hair and blue eyes or brown eyes. But it didn't matter to me because those eyes kept me going through my exhaustion and stress. "Mama!" She cheered loudly causing me to groan because I didn't want her brother waking up too. At twenty months old my spoiled babies slept through most of the night if not all night usually but at least once or twice a week one of them would wake up but go back down rather quickly.

Stepping fully into the room I smiled at my baby girl who began bouncing excitedly in her crib. "Aurora Nicole, what are you doing up this early?" I asked her as I scooped my baby precious little girl into my arms.

"Mama." She said as she laid a palm against my cheek. "Wet. Thirsty." She told me as I carried her to the changing table to take care of her problems so I could possibly get a few more hours of sleep before my day officially had to start.

After changing her diaper I pulled a small bottle from the mini fridge before settling us into the rocker glider that sat next to the only window in the room. I handed the bottle to my sweet sleepy child as I settled her into the crook of my arm as my feet started the soothing rocking motion my momma taught me when the babies first came home from the hospital. Humming one of the lullabies I remembered from my childhood it only took a few minutes for Aurora to start snoring softly in my arms. Pressing a kiss to the top of her head I gently laid her back in her crib, tugging her blanket back over her. "Goodnight sweet girl." I whispered as I crept across the room to check on her little brother. "Sleep tight sweet boy." I whispered pressing a hand to his back just for reassurance that he was okay.

Making my way back into my bedroom I groaned as I looked around the room that had been mine since I was a baby. There was a large basket full of clothes waiting to be folded and put away sitting in the chair beneath my window. Notebooks, school books, my laptop, and notecards were scattered all over my bed and the floor surrounding my bed where I had been studying for my midterms that were coming up this week. Aurora and Aiden's toys and shoes were scattered around the room from where they had been playing while I was attempting to study last night before bed. With a quick glance at my phone I saw that it wasn't even 5 o'clock in the morning so I crawled back beneath my blankets to get a little more sleep.

As I waited for sleep to reclaim me I thought about all the twists and turns my life had taken in the past several years. When I left for college at 18 I never dreamed that I would return home without a diploma in my hand but that is exactly what happened at the end of the fall semester of my junior year at University of Georgia. I had packed all of my belongings from my dorm room into my car and headed home with my pregnant stomach barely hidden beneath baggy hoodies and sweat pants. When I tucked tail and returned home to my parents house I was four months pregnant but had no idea that I was carrying twins. My parents cried when I revealed my pregnancy because they had high hopes of me graduating from college and taking over the family farm like I had always talked about doing. But they also welcomed me back home without complaint and quickly began preparing the home for me and my unborn child. When my babies turned a year old my parents encouraged me to enroll in college again to finish out my degree but I was hesitant because my life was already hectic enough with being a single mom to twins, working reception at my dad's veterinarian practice, and managing the ranch hands on the farm we lived on. But not finishing my degree that I had worked so hard for until that awful night in September that changed the course of my life forever kept niggling at me so with my parents encouragement I re-enrolled in college at 23 years old single mother of twin babies. With summer classes and 8-week classes I was set to graduate in a few months with my double bachelor's degrees in General Horticulture and Animal Science. I couldn't have done it without my family's help that was for certain but they all supported me in making my dreams come true. Well, financially, the settlement from the University and agreement to pay for the rest of my education helped me out tremendously because I didn't have to worry about paying for the little things the twins required. But that money in no way took away the painful memories or experience.

My mom watched Aurora and Aiden while I was in class or doing homework, my dad let me bring them to the office with me when I worked in the clinic, and my big sister kept them while I worked on the farm alongside the ranch hands on the weekends. I couldn't do everything that I do without the support of my family since the father of my babies was unknown. While I couldn't imagine my life without them in it now their conception was not something I liked to think about or talk about. My babies were not a result of a college romance or a young woman going wild at her first taste of freedom or anything like that. They were the result of attending my first fraternity party with my roommate who begged me to let loose for a change. Growing up with Maggie and Shawn's experiences being told to me I knew to never sit my cup down or accept a drink from anybody but I never dreamed that someone would be able to slip something into my cup while I was holding it but that is exactly what happened. I woke up the next morning in my dorm room with no memory of how I got there. Then just a few days after Halloween I peed on my first every pregnancy test that confirmed my worst fears. I was pregnant and had no idea who the father was or how to find him. Not that I would want to anyways.

When my alarm sounded at six-thirty a quick tap of my tablet confirmed that my babies were still sleeping so I flipped the blankets off me and headed for the bathroom to get my shower out of the way. It was easier to shower when they were still asleep because even though we technically still lived at home with my parents they didn't interfere too much with me and the twins daily routine. My parents rarely came upstairs due to their age and bad knees so that was now deemed our spaces. The four bedrooms had been converted into a study/office for me, a living space for the three of us, and a bedroom for me and another for the babies. After I climbed from the shower I quickly dressed in my typical blue jeans, t-shirt, and boots before braiding my waist length hair over one shoulder and making my way into the nursery to wake up my sweet babies.

"Good morning, my little ones." I sang as I flipped on their overhead light causing them to pull their blankets over their heads and begin rolling around in their beds. "Rise and shine." I called to them as I dug through their dressers to gather their clothes for the day. My sister was a shopaholic when it came to my babies so they had so many cute 'twin' outfits it wasn't even funny. I pulled their 'peanut butter and jelly' shirts from their drawers along with a pair of jeans each.

Aiden was the first to sit up in his crib. "Mama." He said softly as he watched me move around their room.

Smiling at him I scooped him up out of the crib with a playful groan. "Come on my big boy." I teased him as I carried him to the changing table to get him ready for the day. "You are gonna eat mama out of house and home when you get to be a big boy." It told him as I stripped his pajamas off and began the process of changing his diaper and getting him dressed for the day while his sister got woke up. She was not a morning person at all which was weird because nine times out of ten she is the one that woke me up in the middle of the night. Aiden had slept through the night since a little before their first birthday whereas Aurora didn't most nights.

"Eat?" Aiden asked as I tugged his underwear up over his diaper.

Chuckling at him I bent down to blow a raspberry on his stomach causing his giggles to fill the room. "We're gonna eat in a little bit. I'm sure Nana has your eggs and bananas ready by now." I told him in a normal voice. Baby talk was the bane of my existence and the doctors had told me that talking in a normal voice in normal sentences would help my babies learn to speak correctly so that is what I done ever since they were born.

Aiden clapped his hands together in his excitement over seeing his Nana and getting food. The boy loved to eat that was for sure but I would rather have kids that loved to eat over ones that were picky eaters. Once I had him dressed in his peanut butter shirt and jeans I sat him on the rug in the middle of the floor with a few toys before pulling Aurora into my arms. "Good morning, my sunshine." I sang to her as I carried her to the changing table for her turn. Getting two babies ready every morning took time but it was our time and over the past almost two years it had just become part of my every day routine that started a little earlier than it used to.

Just as I was undoing the baby gate that blocked off the stairs my phone began ringing from my back pocket. "Phone!" Aurora said excitedly as she began dancing in place to the song that my phone emitted.

"Silly girl." I told her as I pulled my phone from my pocket to see who was calling me before eight in the morning. "Hello?" I said as I pulled the phone to my ear because it was a number that I didn't recognize or have any recollection of.

A masculine throat cleared on the other end of the line before the mystery man spoke. "Yes ma'am. My name is Daryl Dixon and I am trying to get in contact with the owner or manager of Greene Farms."

"I manage the farm along with my family, what can I do for you Mr. Dixon?" I asked as I guided my kids into the kitchen where my mom was filling their sippy cups with their morning juice. Once my mom had the attention of my babies I headed for the back porch to finish my phone call.

Another throat clear let me know this guy was nervous about this phone call. "I am opening an organic butcher shop in town and am contacting local farms to source the pork, beef, and poultry products. Greene Farm came highly recommended when I was asking about organically raised animals. I would like to discuss a joint business venture."

"We already sell our animals to the slaughterhouse for a decent profit, why not just buy the meat from them?" I asked as I sat on the steps to gaze out over the pastures and fields that surrounded the house I grew up in.

The man sighed heavily through the phone. "Because I prefer to slaughter my own animals to ensure I get everything that I need. Through my contacts not a single piece of the animal is wasted."

Resting my chin in my hand I looked out and saw that Otis and the boys were already busy with the day to day needs of the farm. Otis had worked on this farm since before I was born and despite my constant bugging about retiring Not only did we have cows, our farm also had pigs, chickens, turkeys, goats, horses, ducks, and rabbits. Growing up the only thing our farm produced was beef cattle but in the past three years I had taken some of my settlement money and expanded our farm in both land and products. "I prefer to talk business in person so why don't we set up a time to meet and discuss all of this?" I asked him as I heard Aurora start fussing in the kitchen.

"Okay. When would be a good time for you?" He asked softly.

With a heavy sigh I stood up from the steps. "I tend to ranch business on Tuesday through Friday after noon. You can come by Greene Veterinary Clinic any of those days and we can have a chat." I told him as I pulled open the back door to step onto the small screened in back porch that led to the kitchen.

"How will I know who to ask for?"

With a chuckle I shook my head. "Sorry. My name is Beth Greene and I run the reception desk for the clinic so I'll be the first person you see when you walk through the door of the clinic."

"I don't want to interrupt you during your work day. Is there any other time we can meet? This may take a while." He quickly said.

Shaking my head, even though he couldn't see me. "It's fine. Just come up there with the knowledge that the clinic closes at 5 and I leave no later than 5:30."

"Okay. It's been a pleasure Miss Beth. As I'm busy today I will see you tomorrow evening." He said before hanging up the phone.

I slid my phone back in my pocket before stepping through the door into the kitchen where Aurora was crying hysterically while Aiden ate his eggs, cheerios, and banana slices while my mom washed dishes at the sink. "Little girl, what is your problem?" I asked my daughter as I picked her sippy cup off the floor, putting it back on her high chair table.

"No juice." She stated firmly with a few sniffles.

Pointing to the cup I shook my head. "After your juice. You know that. Now stop the tantrum and eat your breakfast for Nana." I told her firmly.

She stood her ground for a few minutes before finally reaching for her juice cup and drinking it.

My mom simply smiled at me as I poured milk over my own bowl of cereal.

**Daryl**

The idea of owning a business much less one that was becoming obsolete in America never crossed my mind until I spent two years on an amazing farm in Kansas. Dale and Irma Horvath were an older couple that owned and operated not only a farm but also a country store and butcher shop. I worked alongside Dale for two years as his right hand man learning everything I could about running a business and butchering different animals properly. While I was in Kansas I began the process of opening a butcher shop in Southern Georgia. One of the first steps was to do an apprenticeship under a certified butcher, which Dale offered to do because I was already basically doing it anyways.

Hunting and butchering animals was something I had been doing since I was a kid when my father would be too drunk to remember to buy groceries for me. But under Dale's watchful eye I learned how to dissect a cow, pig, lamb, and poultry into the desired pieces people liked to buy. He also taught me how to make sausages, bratwurst, and meat patties as well as how to smoke and marinade certain sections of meats. When I had pulled Dale aside and told him that it was time for me to head back home and start making my dream a reality he surprised me by handing me a check for over a quarter thousand dollars as a parting gift. When I had tried to hand him back the check he simply shook his head and said consider him the first investor in making my dream come true.

Using that money I purchased a plot of land on the edge of the of the town of Senoia, Georgia as well as a house that needed extensive work done on the inside. On the 2 acres of commercial property I began building a small abattoir, butcher shop, and small storefront. While I waited for the construction to be completed I began searching for farms to partner with me and applying for all the license and certificates I needed before opening the doors. I had hired a full-time crew to turn the undeveloped commercial property into the vision I had come up with for Dixon Meats and Butcher Shop while I worked on contacting the local farms for the product I wanted to use in my shop.

The first three farms I had visited hadn't met the expectations I had for the product I wanted to sell under my name. The animals were skinny and kept in almost horrible conditions at the first farm. At the second farm the chickens seemed almost too big for their age, like they had been injected or fed steroids to speed up their growth and amp up their size. The third farm had been some greedy asses wanting sixty percent of the profit I made from butchering and selling their meats at my store. I had quickly nixed all of those farms off my list. My contractor that was working on the warehouse, Abraham Ford, recommended I check out Greene Farms.

The house I had purchased was bought for only $34,000 due to the fact that it had been gutted on the inside because of a fire several years ago. The house was more home than I would ever probably need, 1,800 square feet, but I absolutely loved the location and price so I had bought it without hesitation. The old brick frame sat about an acre into the woods from the road and about a half an acre in front of a creek that wound through the property. I could see myself fishing in the wide section of the creek and hunting in the woods in my spare time. Once I had made the purchase I had snapped pictures of them and sent them to Dale and Irma who both called to congratulate me on making my dreams come true and for finally putting down some permanent roots.

Once I had the meeting set for Greene Farms I drove out to the commercial sight to check on the progress of the building. Making the building and property meet city and state codes as well as the department of agriculture was a tedious and expensive process but one that was absolutely necessary to ensure the quality of my meets and the ability to keep my doors open. Dale had told me that the slaughterhouse/butcher shop that they had built had cost them almost half a million dollars but the operation they had was on a much larger scale than what I wanted to be. My plan was to have a small slaughter and butcher space at the back of the property where I could quickly and efficiently humanely kill the animals before butchering the carcasses into useable sections that would find a place on the shelves of the store. Then at the front of the property would be the actual kitchen and storefront along with a small sitting area for the deli section of the storefront. Dale and Irma made a killing selling sandwiches made from fresh bread, meats, and cheese so I was taking some of that knowledge and putting it into my own storefront. Irma was begging to come down once I got closer to my opening day to help me interview employees and see that my opening day went smoothly. Little did she know though, Dale and I had already talked about it and planned for them both to come down for a month when it close to opening time. We were keeping it a secret for now since we were still months away from actually opening the doors.

When I pulled up to the property I spotted my construction foreman and only friend in this town so far, Abraham Ford, standing next to the concrete forms that were waiting to be filled with the precious concrete. "Hey man." I said as I stepped up next to him to look over the outline of what was essentially my future and dream.

"Tyrese just called and said the concrete trucks are going to be about an hour late which means I now have to call and push everything else back an hour." Abraham said as he shook his head. "There's nothing we can do now but wait on them now." He grumbled as his phone rang. "It's Sasha, give me a few minutes." He said with a smile as he answered his phone to talk to his wife who was just days away from giving birth to their first baby.

As Abraham walked away from the concrete forms I stood there taking it all in. Just three months ago this space was nothing but tall weeds and trees and now it was slowly starting to take shape into what I had been picturing in my head for the last year. "This is all because of you big brother." I whispered to the forms that were literally the foundation of my future.

Nine years ago when my big brother got sentenced to five years in prison for manufacturing and distributing drugs he begged me to get out of Georgia and make something of myself. I sold everything that I owned except for my motorcycle, crossbow, and my clothes the day after Merle's sentence. I stayed in town long enough to visit him in prison one time then left the state with no idea when I would be back. Through letters and postcards I kept Merle updated on my whereabouts an in return he kept me up to date on his prison sentence. Just nine months into his term he got into a fight and turned the shank that was intended for his gut into the other guys earning him some more time to be served. He was due to get out in seven months so that was my time limit to get my house livable and my business doors open. When I drove back into Georgia three months ago my first stop was the prison to visit Merle to let him know I was back in town with a firm plan in mind.

That was the first time my brother actually didn't have a smartass comment to make. He simply looked at me with watery eyes and nodded before pulling me into a tight hug and whispering "I knew you could do it, baby brother." into my shoulder before the guard interrupted us saying touching was not permitted during visitations. Growing up a Dixon was a hard thing and came with an automatic judgement that we were all rowdy drunks who weren't good for anything other than causing trouble. My sperm donor beat around on all of us until my mother just couldn't take it anymore and killed herself in a house fire. After that my father really turned his attention to me and Merle until Merle turned 16 and left, leaving just me for my father's sole focus. I spent more days in the trees behind our house hiding from the man that was supposed to protect me because he was drunk and walking around the house with his belt hanging from his hand hunting for me. When I was 13 Merle came back and left with me in the middle of the night. Life with Merle was not easy by no means but at least I wasn't beat around on. Merle was usually high on drugs, drunk, or in jail leaving me basically to fend for myself. I got my first job sweeping out an old general store when I was just 14 years old and never looked back. No matter where Merle took us, I always found some kind of job to make sure we had a place to sleep, something to eat, and bail money for Merle. Whether it was my abusive drunk of a father or drunk drug addict of a brother I was never truly allowed to escape the reputation they created until I left town on my own at the age of twenty-three.

Now, at 32 years old I had returned to my home state to prove that just because I was born a Dixon didn't meant that I was a drunk or trash.

"Daryl, where you go man?" Abraham asked as he nudged me in the shoulder.

Shaking my head, I smirked at him. "Just thinking about what this place really means to me."

"Ah, Sasha's been having those moments lately too. It's really sinking in that her career as a firefighter is going to come second to her love of our child." He said with a small smile on his face. "I've told her that I would always support her if she wanted to go back to firefighting once Little Bean is a few months old but she says she's not sure about being gone for 24 hours at a time."

I nodded. "That must be a hard decision to make."

"It is, but we'll figure it out after Little Bean is here with us." He said before pointing to the concrete forms in front of us. "Once the first layer of concrete is poured progress will move along fairly quickly with the insulation foam, reflective foil, and top layer of self-levelling concrete. The foam and foil layers are scheduled for four days from now. Then the concrete trucks are coming back the following day. Then it will be a month long wait before we can start our framing." He rattled off as he moved his finger down his clipboard slowly.

"Okay, sounds good to me. I still have several contacts to meet with starting with Miss Beth Greene tomorrow evening in an attempt to secure my meat contact." I told him with a shake of my head.

Abraham chuckled. "Those Greene girls are a force to be reckoned with even though Maggie has chilled out some since getting married last year. Beth's not so bad but she is headstrong and stubborn so good luck."

"Thanks, I think." I said with a slightly nervous chuckle. I had heard people whispering about the Greene girls around town but was never one to pay much attention to gossip because I had been the topic of small-town gossip before. "It'll be okay. I've got a good business plan detailed out and everything so it's not like I'm a complete amateur at business dealings." I told him with a slightly nervous chuckle. "In the mean time I've got a meeting with Raleigh Farms to discuss selling their produce in the store."

Abraham nodded. "I've heard good things about their farm. Sasha buys vegetables and stuff from them at the farmers market. They make a mean baked potato salad too."

"I'll have to talk to them about maybe selling it in the store once it gets up and running." I said just as we heard the grumble of the cement trucks turn onto our street. "Guess they are trying to stay in our good graces after all." I told Abraham with a slap on the shoulder. "I gotta run. Have fun today." I called to him as I headed for my truck so I could drive to the next town over where the Henderson Farm was located.

That evening when I walked into my shell of a house I felt like the day had been a productive one. The first layer of concrete had been successfully poured and the curing process started. I had a signed contract with Raleigh Farms to sell their fruits and vegetables in the store along with a few of their packaged foods. Eric and Aaron Raleigh, along with their daughter Gracie, had begged me to stay for dinner and I couldn't say no after they had agreed to the terms of the contract I had drawn up to cover our business arrangement. When we had homemade salted honey ice cream served over fresh sliced strawberries with an extra drizzle of honey over the whole bowl I was begging for the name of the person who made the ice cream. I left their place with a name, phone number, and encouragement to call the next morning to discuss another business arrangement. Things were coming together really nicely for the shop. Now, if I could just get my house livable we would all be doing fantastic.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

**BETH**

Tucking my pencil into the side pocket of my backpack, I grabbed my test paper off my desk and walked confidently to the front of my class to turn in my finished test so I could rush back to Senoia to pick up my kids and get to work. "You still have twenty minutes left, Miss Greene, are you sure you don't want to look over the test one more time?" Professor Steinbeck asked as he sat on the edge of his desk. He was really young to be a professor but he knew his material that was certain but his age also made him cocky.

"Thanks but I'm sure." I told him as I laid the test face down on his desk and made my way out of the classroom.

Just as I stepped outside of the classroom I felt a hand slide along my hip. "Miss Greene can I talk to you for a moment?" Professor Steinbeck asked softly. The man had a reputation around the campus for preying on young pretty students of his once they were no longer his students.

Pulling away from him I crossed my arms over my chest to seem defensive and guarded. "I'm sorry, Professor, but I really must be going."

"What's the rush? Got a party to get ready for to celebrate the mid-point of the semester?" He asked as he winked at me.

I simply rolled my eyes at his suggestion. "I'm sure my one-and-a-half-year-old twins will put a damper on any college party in the entire state." I snapped at him before walking away from him and out of the building. Thankfully he taught mostly short session courses so I wouldn't have to see him any more unless we passed in the hallways. As soon as I stepped out into the warm spring air I pulled my phone out to call my mom. Before I could get my phone unlocked I felt a hand grab my elbow. "You have to the count of three to get your hands off of me before I lay mine on you in a not so nice kind of way." I seethed as I turned my head to see Professor Steinbeck standing there with a smirk on his face.

"Now, Miss Greene, don't be that way." He said as he tugged on my arm.

"One." I said as I planted my feet firmly on the ground. After what had happened to me at the one college party I had ever been to I had made it a mission in life to learn how to protect myself. "Let go of my arm."

He slid his fingers off my arm but only so he could slide it onto my hip. I didn't want to cause a scene if I could avoid it because I was so close to graduating. "I've seen the way you look at me in class."

"Two." I told him as I twisted my hips out of his reach. "I look at you because your mouth is spewing the information I need to pass the course. I suggest you don't make me say three and report you to the Dean of Student Affairs. Take no for an answer and go prey on the next victim because it damn sure ain't gonna be me this time." I snapped at him with my hands clenched at my sides, prepared to swing if necessary.

Professor Steinbeck finally made a wise decision and put his hands up and backed away from me without another word. Taking a deep breath of fresh air when the door closed behind the creep that was Professor Steinbeck I unlocked my phone and dialed my house number since my parents didn't believe in cell phones. "Hello?" my mom answered breathlessly into the house phone.

"It's just me mom. I wanted to let you know that I'm walking to my car so I'll be there in about twenty-five minutes to get the kiddos and lunch." I told her as I pulled my keys from my pocket. This car had been a gift from my parents when I had decided to go back to college after the twins were born. I had been perfectly content driving the old Honda Civic that had been a sweet 16 present but my parents had wanted me to have something more dependable since I was driving from home to campus every day and transporting the babies everywhere. My midnight blue Ford Edge was such a surprise from my parents that I had cried when I spotted it parked where I had parked my car the night before with all of my stuff already in the new ride. With the settlement money from the University I could have easily paid for a new car in cash but I was content with the car I had, my parents weren't. So my dad had dipped into their retirement money and paid for the car and continuously refused to accept payment from me since then.

My mom sighed. "Okay, you know I don't mind watching them while you go to work."

Hitting the button on my key fob I seen my lights blink a few rows ahead of me letting me know it was unlocked. "They are my responsibility mom, not yours. They will be fine in the play area in the clinic. Plus they love playing with all the puppies and kittens up there."

"You always did too when you were little. I would have to fight with you to keep you at home during school breaks because you wanted to go to work with your father." She said with a chuckle. "Be careful driving home. We'll see you soon." She told me softly.

"I will mom. See you in a short bit. Need me to pick anything up on my way home?" I asked as I climbed into the driver seat, sliding my backpack into the passenger seat.

She sighed into the phone. "Do you have time? I know you are supposed to be at the clinic before 12:30 and it's almost 12 now."

"It'll be fine. Just tell me what you need." I told her as I cranked the car and began pulling out of the parking lot and onto the highway that led me home. While I did work for my father, I still had a work schedule to stick to and I didn't like taking advantage of the fact that I could technically get by with coming in late because my family owned the practice.

Clucking her tongue a few times she finally sighed and began to list off the things she needed from the market in town.

Once I got into town I stopped by the clinic to tell my dad and Ellen, the receptionist that worked while I was in class or tending to farm business. "Hey Beth." Ellen said as I walked through the door with my backpack over my shoulder. I had mid-terms tomorrow and Friday that I still had to study for.

"Hey Ellen, is dad busy?" I asked her as I walked around the counter to drop my backpack off. "I was just stopping in to let him know I have to pick up some stuff for Mom before going to get the kids so I will be a little bit late getting back." I told her as I slid my backpack under the desk out of the way.

She just smiled at me. "He just left for the Grimes farm. One of their sow's is having trouble birthing her litter."

I nodded in understanding. "Do you mind waiting until I get back? I shouldn't be too long."

"That's fine, sweetheart. Take your time. I'll stay until you and the babies get back." She told me as the phone began to ring.

"Thanks, Ellen." I whispered as I headed back out the door to my car.

After a quick trip to the market to pick up my mom's items and some snacks for me and the twins I headed for the farm in a semi-rush because I hated being late for anything. And on top of my regular work stuff I was expecting Daryl Dixon to pop up at some point in the evening to discuss the joint business venture he had proposed yesterday morning. Pulling into the farm I smiled when I spotted my kiddos standing on the porch waving at me. Today they were wearing their 'one cute chick' and 'chick magnet' outfits. Aurora had her little red curls pulled up into tiny pigtails with bright yellow and white polka dot bows on top of each one, a little blue jean skirt, and yellow glitter sandals with her 'one cute chick' shirt. Aiden was wearing his blue jeans, yellow slip-ons, and yellow hat with his 'chick-magnet' shirt. It was what I had brought down stairs this morning for mom to put on them after lunch since I left them in onesies this morning for breakfast. "Hi my cuties!" I called out to them as I climbed from the car with mom's bags in my hands.

I wasn't the type of parent that decked my kids out every single time we left the house but I liked for them to be clean and cute when going to the clinic. The people in this town didn't know how I had gotten pregnant with the twins so the gossip mill ran wild when I had returned home after one semester away at college. And I had told my family that I didn't want anyone knowing what really happened so they had just let the people of the town form their own opinions. So I tried to make the best impression I could when I was at the clinic with the kids. But kids will be kids so the people of the town had seen them throw fits when they were told they couldn't have something they wanted. The people of this town had seen me and the kids at the local café after a hard day of work and play on the farm, we were still in our dirty clothes but had clean faces and hands. At this point in my life I didn't care what the gossip mill was saying about me or my parenting style, I just wanted to be the best parent I could to my kids so they could grow up to be the best adult they could be.

"Mama!" They both called out as they jumped up and down in excitement that brought a huge smile to my face. This was what made all the stress of my days worth it, my babies excited to see me. Their excitement is what made suffering through everything I had went through after the rape worth it.

My mom met me on the steps to take the bags so I could scoop up my kiddos as was tradition every single day that I came home to get them. "Hello my loves." I told them as I squatted down to hug them both at the same time. They automatically clung to me and wrapped their legs around my hips. Putting a hand under each of their bottoms I stood up with them on my hips. "Mama missed you guys today." I told them as I sat on the porch swing, positioning a kid on each leg and in each arm.

"Mama." Aiden sighed as he nestled his head against my chest.

Pressing my lips against the top of his little hat I smiled to myself. "I love you, my big boy."

Aurora raised up to look at me with her bright green eyes. "Wove?" She asked pointing to her chest.

Smiling at her I placed a quick kiss to the tip of her tiny little nose. "Yes, sunshine, mama loves you too." I told her as she snuggled into my chest much like her brother. "I love both of you." After a few minutes of enjoying some snuggles from my babies I knew it was time to get to work. "Are y'all ready to go to work?" I asked each of them.

Aurora nodded but didn't move from the spot she had snuggled into. It was their nap time and would they would most likely be sound asleep before we ever made it to the clinic. Aiden didn't move which told me he was just about sound asleep. "Need some help?" My mom asked as she stepped back onto the porch with mine and dad's lunch in a bag.

"If you'll just carry the food to the car and open Aurora's door for me, I'll get them." I told her as I took a deep breath and stood up, shifting each kid to a shoulder with an arm around their legs and hand on their diaper clad bottom.

My mom headed off the porch ahead of me and quickly opened the back passenger door so I could place Aurora into her car seat. "Here you go, sunshine." I whispered to her as I slid my arm out from around her.

She just looked at me with sleepy green eyes. "Mama, work?"

"Yes ma'am. We're going to work. Go ahead and go to sleep and when you wake up you can play with the puppies." I told her softly as I fastened her buckles into place one handed while her brother snored gently on my shoulder.

Aurora yawned as she leaned her head against the back of her car seat. I had it tipped back just a bit so their heads didn't loll forward when they fell asleep. Stepping back I shut her door before walking around to repeat the process with her brother. Before having kids I never would have dreamed being able to do everything I do one handed but when you have two little ones demanding attention and things constantly one quickly learns how to be versatile about anything and everything. Gently placing Aiden in his car seat I made quick work of his straps before shutting his door and cranking the car so they wouldn't get too hot in their seats. My mom stood on the other side of the car with a smile on her face. "What?" I asked her as I looked over the hood of the car at her.

"I'm just so proud of you, that's all." She whispered.

I shook my head. "That's not all. What's going on?" I asked her with a raised eyebrow.

She sighed and shook her head. "Your graduation celebration invitations came in today."

"Oh." I said because I had forgot all about telling my mom that she could order some. Everyone that was important to me already knew that I was graduating along with the when and where so I felt invitations had been a moot point but my mom had been adamant that it was a huge deal and invitations needed to be sent out. She had also been understanding that there was limited seating at the actual ceremony so she had made the invitations for a celebratory dinner for the evening of graduation. "How many did you order?" I asked nervously because of what happened last time I attended a party.

My mom smiled and shook her head. "Just forty, Beth. Everything will be fine. Your father, brother, sister, and I will be here the entire time. This isn't going to be like last time. No loud music or drinking. Just people here to celebrate your accomplishment."

"Okay, Mom." I nodded in understanding despite the knots in my stomach. "I gotta get to work. I'll see you this evening." I told her as I blew her a kiss before climbing into my car with a deep breath. I rolled down the passenger side window and called out to her. "Mom!" I called to get her attention. When she turned to look at me I smiled at her. "I love you." I said simply.

"I love you too, Bethie. Have a good afternoon at work." She called back with a wave and blown kiss.

I nodded as I pulled from the driveway with my stomach still in knots.

**DARYL**

After speaking to Deanna Monroe about her homemade ice cream I was in a great mood because she had been excited to sell her desserts in my store. We had a tasting set up for next week to try several different desserts she made other than just honey ice cream. With a little extra pep in my step I dressed in my work clothes and got ready to head to the work site to check on the concrete that had been poured yesterday. We had to wait at least a week before we could begin construction on the store but we had to wait almost a month before we could even start the framing for the abattoir and butchering area so the concrete could fully cure. I needed those areas to stay colder so I was doing a super-insulated floor like Dale and Irma had in their butcher shop. When I pulled into the lot I spotted Abraham walking around the concrete slabs slowly. "Hey man, everything look good?" I called out to him as I climbed from my truck.

He looked at me and smiled. "It looks perfect. I'm just waiting on the inspector to come sign off on them." He explained as he pointed to the slick concrete filled forms in front of us and the rebar spike filled one behind us. Since the abattoir and butcher area was being double poured with an insulation area between there was rebar going from one layer of concrete into the other one to tie them together.

I smiled as I looked at all the concrete on the lot. This was the true beginning of my future. "These look amazing." I said, almost to myself. "I wish my brother could see this happening." I whispered as I shook my head.

"Just wait until next week when the walls start going up." Abraham said with a smile and tap of his clipboard. The portable storage building is being delivered later today and the building supplies tomorrow so that gives us time to go through them and make sure everything we ordered is here and make corrections if something is wrong." He explained as another vehicle pulled in beside my truck. "That'll be the inspector." He told me as he started walking towards the car before the person even turned the engine off.

I left Abraham to the inspector and walked around the forms picturing what it would all look like in six weeks. Then I pictured what things would look like in eight weeks when construction was set to be completely done. Abraham and a tall skinny black lady walked towards me talking animatedly. "Daryl! I would like to introduce you to Jacqui Prescott, she'll be our inspector for the duration of this project." Abraham introduced us.

Sticking my hand out towards the woman I smiled at her. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Prescott." I told her genuinely. "I want this entire project done correctly so if you spot something not up to code please let Abe or myself know so we can get it fixed." I told her honestly.

"Please call me Jacqui. Most people beg inspectors to go easy on them not be tougher on them." She joked as she shook my hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Dixon."

With a quick shake of her hand I released it and stuffed my hands into my pockets. "Daryl, please. This business is everything to me so I want everything done correctly so I don't have any problems in the future. That's why I picked Abe to be my project foreman, he came highly recommended and respected around these parts." I explained with a small smile.

The big man huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Most folks give me grief about following building codes so it's a relief to actually work with someone who wants things done by the book." Abe said as he waved towards the concrete slabs. "Shall we get started with the inspection?"

"Absolutely." Jacqui said with a smile.

Once Jacqui left the property I turned to Abe with a smile on my face. "That went good, huh?"

Abe laughed and nodded, clapping me on the shoulder. "This was an easy one, my friend. She'll be by at every step of the way. I've emailed her a copy of our building schedule so she knows when things are supposed to be done for her inspection."

"Good. I've got to run. Call me if there is a problem with the building or supplies." I told him as I opened my truck door.

With a nod of his head, Abe headed back towards the slabs.

I had a few stops to make before I went to meet Miss Greene to discuss selling her meets at my shop. The first being the post office to pick up my mail since I had yet to install my mail box and to mail a letter to both my brother and the Horvath's. "Hi, Amy." I told the young girl that was usually behind the counter every time I came in here which was once a week.

"Hi Daryl. The postmaster is getting annoyed at you for not having a mailbox installed. Said you either need to get it installed or open a post office box." She said as she handed me a small stack of mail.

Nodding in understanding I handed her the two envelopes to be mailed out. "I'll get it put in today." I told her with a smile. "Can you mail these for me?"

She nodded with a bright smile. "Of course."

"Thanks." I said as I turned to leave the small building.

"Bye Daryl." Amy called out quickly.

I waved back at her but continued my way to the truck. Apparently, I had a mail box to put in the ground today and there was no time like the present. A quick stop at the hardware store got me the post to mount the mail box on top of and the bag of concrete needed to secure it in the ground. Another stop at the market secured lunch for myself and the stray dog that had been hanging around the yard. The mutt that had been hanging around met me in the driveway with a wagging tail. "Dog, why don't you go home?" I asked the scraggly looking mutt as I climbed from the truck with our lunch in my hand.

He licked my hand, barked, and followed me into the garage that needed new garage doors because the old ones had been destroyed in the house fire. "Come on." I told him as I opened the door that I had installed when I first bought the house. The first things I had done to the house was replace all the windows and doors along with a new roof to dry in the place so I could work on it little bit by little bit. The inside of the house was a complete mess. I had removed every single wall in the place except for the load bearing walls which would soon be replaced with beams so I could remove the walls. Abraham was also overseeing the majority of the work here also but I liked to pitch in and do things in my down time so he could focus mainly on the work site. "Hey guys." I told a few of Abe's guys as they stood over the blueprints Abe had drawn up for me for the new layout of the house. "How's it going?" I asked as I placed my lunch sack on the corner of the table.

"It's going pretty good. Just got here a little bit ago and we're planning to put up some temporary walls today so we can get ready to put the beam in place." One of the guys, Tyrese, said as he pointed to the main load bearing wall.

I nodded as I smiled. "Sounds like fun. Let me get the dog and myself fed and we'll pitch in and help." I told him as I clapped him on the shoulder before grabbing the lunch bag and heading for the stairs and deck out back. "Come on, Dog."

After helping knock out the studs of the irritating load bearing wall I had been itching to knock down I grabbed a shovel and headed down the driveway with the materials to put in my mail box that had been sitting in the garage for a few weeks now. "This'll mark the place as mine." I told dog as I stepped on the shovel to sink it in the dirt.

With a few grunts and brute force I got the mailbox cemented in and looking good as it stood marking my permanent place in the world. Taking my phone out of my pocket I snapped a quick picture to send too Irma with the caption of 'It's official'. Once I sent the photo I seen what time it was. Time to go face the headstrong Miss Beth Greene.

I washed up in the creek out back, snagged a clean shirt out of the laundry basket in the garage, and left for Greene Veterinary Practice with Dog in the truck with me. While driving through town earlier I had spotted the clinic so I now knew where to go. It was barely four o'clock so I figured that would be enough time to get Dog checked out and to discuss business before they closed at 5. Pulling into the parking lot of the veterinary clinic I suddenly felt nervous about the business part of this meeting which was surprising because I had been doing a lot of that with a bunch of people lately. "Come on, Dog. Time to get checked out since apparently you're stickin' around." I told the scraggly shepherd mix dog as he jumped from the bench seat of my truck onto the pavement.

Thankfully, Dog stuck right next to me as we crossed the parking lot to the clinic doors because I didn't own a leash and don't think people would like it too much if I simply tied a rope around his neck. When I opened the clinic door a bell jingled from up above startling Dog causing his ears to lay flat on his head as he pushed against my leg almost knocking me off balance. "It's okay, Dog, it's just a bell." I told him as I stepped into the clinic, slapping my leg to encourage him to follow me. Slowly, with trepidation written all over his posture, Dog followed me to the reception desk.

"Welcome to Greene Clinic, how can I help you today?" The young blonde woman behind the desk asked as soon as I stepped up to the counter.

Clearing my throat I started to introduce myself. "I'm—" I was interrupted by a loud wail coming from around the corner.

The young blonde quickly stood up. "Excuse me for just a moment." She called out as she disappeared around the edge of the wall. As the wailing came to a stop I heard her singing softly before she came back into view with a teary eyed little boy in her arms and a wide eyed little girl clinging to her jeans. "Sorry for the interruption, how can we help you today?" She asked as she sat down with the little boy in her lap and the little girl standing next to her. They appeared to be the same age but they couldn't possibly be hers, she was too young to have kids. Right?

Once again, I cleared my throat and started to introduce myself and Dog. "I'm Daryl Dixon, I came to speak to a Miss Beth Greene about a business matter but before I do that I was hoping to get this dog checked out since he is determined to stay with me." I rattled nervously.

"I'm Beth." She said as she extended a hand towards the counter for me to shake. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Dixon. My father is free at the moment and can check out the dog for you before we discuss the farm business. She turned to the little girl standing next to her. "Rory, can you go get Papa?" She asked her. The tiny red headed girl quickly smiled and took off down the hallway while Dog sat on my foot and cocked his head up at me. "What is your dog's name?" Beth Greene asked me softly.

Looking down at the dog as he sat on my foot looking up at me I shrugged and looked back to her. "Dog?" I said with a shrug of my shoulders.

"Are you asking or telling?" Beth Greene asked me as she typed on the keyboard while the little boy sat in her lap with his head resting on her chest.

Clearing my throat I glanced quickly at the dog at my feet. "Telling. He just showed up last week and seems intent on sticking around."

"Dogs are good judges of character so that must mean you are a good person. We'll take a picture of him and post him on the Lost and Found board anyways just in case someone is looking for him. You can take Dog into this first room to the left and we'll be in there in a few minutes to give him a quick check-up." She said as she pointed to her left before pushing back from the desk. "Come on, buddy, let's go check on Rory and Papa."

After a thorough exam, bloodwork, and shots Dog was thoroughly done with this visit to the vet but I still had business to discuss. "Mama, dog?" The little girl asked as she tugged on Beth's hand. Apparently the kids were hers. I began to wonder where their father was and why she was having to bring them to work with her.

"That dog doesn't look too happy right now, Rory. Go pet the pups in the playpen while Mr. Dixon and I discuss business." She told her daughter and pointed towards the back of the building.

The little girl stuck her lip out in a pout but nodded and headed towards the back where her grandfather had disappeared to after doing Dog's exam. "I'm gonna go put him in the truck and grab my folder then I'll be back in."

"Sounds good." She said as she rounded the desk, plucked a toy from the office chair before sitting down.

I made quick work of getting Dog situated in the truck with the windows rolled down halfway and a bowl of water in the floorboard. "Don't piss in my truck." I told him sternly as I grabbed the file folder that contained my business plan, layout of the buildings, and business contract from above my rear-view mirror. Slamming the door of the truck I took a deep breath and headed back towards the building.

Walking inside I spotted the young blonde woman standing talking to her father down the hallway so I took a seat in one of the waiting chairs until she got done. I fiddled with the papers inside the folder while I waited, the knots in my stomach getting worse the longer I waited. Just as I was ready to bold out the door and try again another day a feminine throat cleared next to me. "You ready to discuss business?" Beth asked me as she flipped the lock on the front door. It wasn't quite five o'clock but who was I to say anything.

"Absolutely, Miss Greene." I said as I stood from my chair.

She shook her head and smiled at me. "Beth will do just fine. Please come around the counter and we'll get down to business." I nodded and followed her through a doorway that gave me access to the inner workings of the clinic. She kicked a few children's toys and dog toys towards the wall as we made our way to the desk and two chairs. "Please excuse the mess, we've been busy today so my kids have managed to make a mess of everything." She mumbled as she plucked a yellow polka dot bow out of her chair.

"It's fine. Do we need to reschedule? I'm not in a huge rush since my concrete slabs were just poured yesterday." I explained as I laid my folder on the corner of the desk, plucked a yellow hat from the chair that was temporarily mine, and sat down.

With a shake of her head she sat down with a smile on her face. "It's fine because tomorrow won't be any different than today. At least the kids took a pretty decent nap today so they aren't cranky." She teased as she scooted herself up to the desk. "Tell me about this new business you are bringing to our small town, Mr. Dixon."

"No need for formalities, Miss Greene." I joked as I pulled out a copy of my business plan and timeline for when the business would be fully operational. "Right now, I'm still in the construction phase so I'm working on sourcing out the products to sell in the shop." I explained as I handed her the papers. "I like to butcher my own meats so that I can make sure that…"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**BETH**

After talking with Daryl about selling our animals to him exclusively I had a lot to think about and big decisions to make. I was trying to expand our farm and I wasn't sure that selling all of our meats exclusively to a single hometown butcher shop was the way to do that. Currently the farm was sending approximately 60 cows to the slaughterhouse each year at the end of March. Daryl was proposing that instead of a mass sell that we only sell him two cows each week all year long. That would end up being over a hundred head of cattle a year but our profits would also be spread out. He told me I had the choice of getting paid per animal or getting a percentage of everything he sold of ours. I was still debating because not only was he offering to buy our cows. He was also interested in the pigs, turkeys, chickens, and goats. But before anything was final he wanted to come out to the farm and take a look at how our animals lived and what they ate. So I had told him to come to the farm Saturday morning and he could join me on the morning rounds of feeding and watering the animals.

By Friday I still hadn't made a decision so I decided to invite Otis and Patricia over for dinner to have a family farm discussion. I wanted to have a decision for Daryl by tonight so I could discuss it with him tomorrow morning when he came over to assist in the morning chores. "Dad, I'm gonna cut out a bit early to go help Mom with dinner since Otis and Patricia are coming over." I told my dad as I stuck my head around the doorframe into his office where he sat watching my babies play with two pups from the local pound that had finally been given a clean bill of health.

He looked up at me with a smile on his face. "Okay but have a seat first, I've got something that I want to talk to you about." He said pointing to the chair that sat on the other side of his desk.

"Is something wrong?" I asked as I glanced between him and my kids. "Shawn? Maggie? Mom?"

With a shake of his head he turned around to grab a file folder off the filing cabinet behind his desk. "Nothing's wrong. Everything is going as planned actually so I have a surprise for you." He told me as he handed me the thin file folder.

My mind automatically went crazy. "Are these termination papers?" I asked as I tentatively took the folder from him.

"Absolutely not. Stop guessing and open the folder." He said as he leaned back in his chair watching me with a smile on his face.

Taking a deep breath I opened the folder and gasped at what I saw inside. "Are these…?" I whispered as I looked at the childhood drawings of my dream home.

My father took a deep breath. "They are. This is your graduation present from your mother and I." He explained as he pointed to the folder. "Your mother took those drawings to an architect and had actual legal house plans drew up based on them. They break ground in your spot in two weeks and the house should be ready by Christmas." There was fifteen acres that had never been used for anything than grazing pastures because it was being saved for us three kids; Shawn, Maggie, and me. Maggie lived in town in Glenn's rental house that he had before they met while she builds their business. Shawn and his wife, Veronica, live in an apartment in Atlanta while they work at an animal hospital to gain some experience before taking over the clinic. I am the only one that lives on the farm aside from our parents of course but that is just the way things played out when my kids came along.

"But…" I whispered as I flipped to the next page which was a professionally printed copy of my childhood drawings.

"No buts, Bethie. You deserve this. You are about to graduate from college with honors despite everything that has happened. We are all so proud of you and this is our gift to you. I don't think you'll be on the farm by yourself for long according to the phone call I received earlier from your brother." My dad said with a shake of his head.

I smiled broadly because my brother and his wife had been trying for almost a year to get pregnant and hopefully it had finally happened. "Shawn gonna be a Daddy?" I asked excitedly, closing the folder on the rest of the paperwork inside. I would look at it all later tonight.

Dad confirmed with a bright smile and nod of his head. "Veronica went to the doctor today because she's been sick for almost a week."

"Yeah, that's why they didn't come for dinner last Sunday, remember?" I reminded him excitedly. "I'm so excited to be an aunt!" Aurora patted me on the leg to get my attention. "What, sweetheart?" I asked her as I brushed some stray curls off her face.

"Nono sick?" She asked as her brother came to stand next to her.

I shook my head at both of them. "Nono is growing a baby in her belly but she's okay." I explained the best I could since they were so young.

"Baby?" Aiden asked with wide eyes.

"Yep, she's growing a baby just like Nellie is growing one." I explained, using my horse that was pregnant as something for them to relate to so hopefully they could understand what I was trying to tell them.

They both grinned big and began jumping around in their excitement. I think they got it. I turned back to my father who was smiling at my kids. "They're not gonna know what to do with another baby around to compete for yours and mom's attention." I said as I smiled at him. "So, Shawn and Ronnie are wanting to build on his spot?"

My dad shrugged. "I don't know yet but it's a possibility because he said they wanted to move back before Veronica got too far along and uncomfortable."

"That would be great if they built a house out there too. It's going to be awfully lonely over in my spot all by myself with just me and the kids." I said, sticking my lower lip out slightly. Greene Farms operated on 130 acres but my dad owned 150 acres with twenty of the acres being zoned as residential and the other as farmland. Our spots were scattered out across the land, far enough apart to give us our privacy but also close enough together that we could get to one another if the need arose. "Can we talk about all of this later? I want to get home to help mom with dinner and you still need to make a stop at Monroe farms to check on their goat." I reminded him as I stood up which stopped my kids from their antics. "Tell Papa bye so we can go see Nana." I told them as I headed for the front to gather our stuff and shut the computers down for the day.

Within ten minutes I had the office closed down, kids loaded in their seats, and pulling out onto the highway to head home. When I turned off the highway onto our gravel road, Kershen Road, I couldn't help but smile. I was giddy at the thought of living in my own home with my kids but was also nervous because I had never done it. "Home?" Aiden asked from the backseat. Looking in the mirror I smiled at my boys reflection in the mirror that was attached to the headrest of the backseat since their seats were still rear-facing.

"Yes sir. We're almost home." I told him with a bright smile. "Mr. Otis and Mrs. Patricia are coming over for dinner too." I told them as I slowed down in front of the grazing pasture that had been designated as my spot when I was just a baby.

He cheered in the backseat with a big toothy grin covering his face.

Once I passed what would be our home by this time next year I headed further down the road until I spotted the driveway that led to the farmhouse I had been born and raised in. "Home sweet home." I told the kids as I turned the car off in the driveway, reaching over to grab the file folder my dad had given me earlier from the passenger seat.

"Nana." Aurora cried out as she tugged on her seatbelt straps.

With a look and throat clearing from me she stopped her tantrum before it ever really got started. I made quick work of their straps and let them climb out of the car on their own and start making their way to the porch where my mom and Patricia sat talking. While the kids headed for the front porch and my mom I grabbed all of our bags from the back. I still used the same diaper bag that Maggie had gotten me when I was around seven months pregnant with the babies. It resembled a duffle bag with a gray and white chevron pattern with Aurora and Aiden's names stitched into the top flap. Babies in general required a lot of stuff when you left the house with them and I had double so the large bag worked perfectly for us. I grabbed their bag, my purse, and my backpack since I had some reading and note taking to get done this weekend and followed my kids.

"Hey Bethie, how was work?" Mom asked as I stepped up onto the front porch.

I smiled at her as I bent down to give her a kiss on the cheek in greeting. "Work was work. Dad is headed to the Monroe's then on his way home. Do you ladies need any help with dinner?" I asked as I repeated the greeting on Patricia.

Patricia patted me on the cheek as I pulled away from her. "Dinner is in the oven staying warm, sweetheart. Just sipping on my famous peach tea while we wait on the men to get finished for the day." She told me with a wink as I stood up straight. Her 'famous' peach tea wasn't just flavored tea, it had about equal amounts whiskey as it did actual peach tea.

"You two take it easy on that tea while I go get me and the babies washed up for dinner." I told them with a wagging finger as I opened the door of the house, urging my kids into the house. The smell of dinner smacked me in the face and made my tummy rumble in anticipation of the delicious food that was making the house smell so good.

Aiden tugged at my hand with an eager look on his face. "Eat, Mama?" he asked softly.

Smiling down at him I nodded. "Yes sir, when Papa and Mr. Otis get here we'll eat dinner. Right now, let's go wash up and change into our eating clothes. Okay?" I asked as I opened the gate at the bottom or the stairs for them to start their climb upstairs.

"Okay." He said with a firm nod of his head before turning to focus on the stairs.

I quickly changed their chick magnet outfits into onesies that I didn't care if they got dirty or stained up before washing their faces and hands for dinner. I also took Aurora's hair down, running a brush through both of their hair. Aurora had shockingly curly red hair that she must have inherited from her father while Aiden's hair was straight and blonde with a slight reddish tint to it. Aurora had bright green eyes while, thankfully, Aiden shared my sky-blue eyes. It didn't matter who they got their looks from, my love for them wasn't impacted in any way. "It looks like we are just about dinner ready, huh?" I asked them as I guided them into my bedroom so I could change clothes and undo my braid to let my hair relax a bit.

They ignored me and ran to their bucket of building blocks I kept on the circle rug in the corner of my room that was their designated play area. I quickly changed into a pair of cut-off jean shorts, tank-top, and my flip flops before running a brush through my long hair. Once I was dressed I whistled to get my kids attention and nodded towards the bedroom door. "Who's hungry?" I asked them eagerly as I stood by the bedroom door to wait on them to catch up with me.

Dinner was a lively affair between two tipsy older women, two cranky toddlers, and two old men who acted like they hadn't seen each other in years. Once all the food had been ate and I was simply waiting on my kids to finish playing in their dinner I decided to bring up Daryl's proposition. "I was offered a deal earlier this week and I don't know what to do with it." I started as I looked between my father and Otis, who was like a second father to me.

"What's the deal?" Otis asked, all the joking and kidding gone out of his voice.

With a sigh I settled back in my seat and began to explain. Once I finished explaining the whole deal with Daryl I watched as my father and Otis communicated silently right in front of me. When they were done having their telepathic conversation my father turned to look at me. "Beth, did you have a chance to look at all the paperwork in that folder I gave you earlier?"

I shook my head and raised an eyebrow at my father. "Not yet but what does that have to do with this?" I asked curiously.

"Everything. That folder not only contains your house plans and five acre plot but it also contains the new deed to the farmland you run." Dad explained as he leaned forward, resting his arms on the edge of the table. "I'm ready to retire and enjoy my time with Nettie, you kids, and our grandkids so we have done a lot of rearranging of things around here. When you graduate college this entire farm minus fifteen acres will be solely yours. Just like the clinic and vet practice is solely Shawn's. You have such great vision for this place so don't start doubting yourself now. If you think it's a fair deal then you take it. If you are worried about the future then do a short-term agreement. If you don't like the deal at all then tell the man to get lost. I love you, Elizabeth Anne Greene, and I trust you to do what is best for this farm and this family." He told me before pushing away from the table and standing up. "But, right now, I think it's time for me to get my tipsy wife to bed. Otis." Dad said with a nod in the other man's direction before going around the table, kissing my kids on top of their messy heads, holding a hand out for my mother, and disappearing down the hall.

I simply gaped after him before turning to look at Otis. "Otie, I can't do this all on my own." I whispered nervously, reverting to the childhood nickname I had given him.

The large man smiled across the table at me. "Yes you can, Bethie. You are an amazing young woman and can do anything you set your mind to. I'm not going anywhere yet but Patty has been nagging me to retire also, ever since Nettie let it slip that Hersh was talking about it."

Shaking my head I felt my eyes well up with tears. "I'm not superwoman, Otie. I absolutely cannot run this farm by myself. I need you and Dad here to help me with everything."

He laughed as he shook his head. "Beth, you have been running this farm by yourself for over a year now. You just never realized it."

"I haven't." I whispered softly as I glanced at my kids who were smearing the last bit of their peach cobbler all over their trays and their faces.

"You have. When was the last time I placed any of the orders around here? When was the last time I handled any of the phone calls regarding farm business? Who manages the breeding of all the animals? Who picks what pastures to graze in and which ones to plant? Who picks the crops for crop rotation?" He rattled as he pointed a finger at me. "You do all of that while taking care of two beautiful toddlers, overachieving at college to graduate with double degrees, and working part-time at the clinic. You've got this, Beth. Stop underestimating yourself, we all stopped underestimating you a long time ago. You have an amazing vision for this place and you are the only one that can make it happen. So get to it." He said as he hefted himself from his chair. "I'm gonna get Patty home before she hits the floor." He said motioning to his wife who had laid her head on the table once my mom left the room. "We all believe in you, Bethie, and love you unconditionally." He whispered as he helped Patricia stand up. "See you bright and early in the morning."

I sat there stunned into silence long after they left. It wasn't until a disgruntled whine came from Aurora that I realized I was still sitting there running their words over and over through my head. "Bath time then bed time for you two. Let's go." I told them as I took their trays off their high chairs and sat them on the table. "No touching anything." I said as I helped them down one by one, grabbing a hand each and guiding them up the stairs to our bathroom. My mind was overwhelmed with everything I had found out today but taking care of my kids gave me something solid to focus on for the time being so I didn't go absolutely crazy. I quickly washed their hair and bodies before taking a seat on the closed toilet to let them play for a few minutes before we started their bedtime routines. While watching them I pulled my phone out to text my sister to see if she was in the know.

_Did you know?_

_…_

_Maggie!?_

_…_

_Margaret Nicole!?_

_FINE! Yes they called me in to discuss it all a few weeks ago. I told them I didn't want any part of the clinic or the farm, just my plot for when we get ready to have a family._

_Why would you not say anything to me? You know how I feel about things of importance just being thrown at me._

_They made me promise, Bethie. It's a good surprise though. You deserve this._

_It's not fair though, Maggie. This farm is all of ours once Mom and Dad are gone. Not just mine. With Shawn getting the clinic and me getting the farm, what are you left with? Nothing. That's not right._

_That farm is all yours, Bethie. You went to college TWICE to learn all the intricacies of running and operating that farm. Nobody could have blamed you if you never went back after your horrible experience but you chose to anyways. _

_But what about you? What do you get?_

_Peace of mind that my brother and sister are getting what they have worked so hard for. I am where I want to be, Beth. Glenn and I have the pizzeria and café and that is my dream now. We all want this for you and the munchkins._

_Okay. Thank you seems to not be appropriate for this._

_It's perfect. We all love you and are so proud of you, Bethie. I'll see you guys in the morning._

_Love you too. See you in the morning._

As I tucked my phone back into my pocket I caught a yawn from Aurora which was my cue to wrap up bath time. Half an hour later both babies were dressed and laying in their cribs with glazed eyes. "Goodnight my babies. I love you." I whispered to them as I placed their book back onto the bookshelf and stood from the rocker where I sat to read them their bedtime stories.

I stuck the baby monitor onto my back pocket and made my way back downstairs to clean up our dinner dishes since my mom had imbibed in a little too much alcohol to take care of it. Raking all the table scraps onto one plate I stacked the rest up so I could carry them all to the kitchen in one trip. Clearing the dining room was my first priority so I made several trips to the kitchen carrying dirty dishes and putting the left-over food away before pushing the high chairs back against the wall, wiping the table off, and sweeping any mess up off the floors. Once the dining room was clean I headed for the kitchen to finish cleaning up but was surprised to find my mom standing there sipping a glass of water. "Mom, what are you doing up?" I asked as I organized the dirty dishes on the counter so that I could make quick work or rinsing them to load into the dishwasher.

"I couldn't sleep knowing the kitchen was still a mess but I see now that I had nothing to worry about." She joked as she sat her glass on the counter with the other dirty glasses. "I love you, baby girl."

Stopping what I was doing I went and wrapped my arms around my mom in a tight hug. "I love you too, momma."

We stood like that for several minutes, just soaking in each other's embrace. "Let's get this kitchen cleaned up so we can get to bed, you've got a busy day tomorrow."

I nodded as I pulled away from her. "Daryl is supposed to be here for morning chores to see how our animals are raised and to discuss the business deal he has presented us with." I explained as I began rinsing the glasses out to place in the dishwasher.

"I'll make a little extra for breakfast then." She said as she placed the food into the refrigerator.

Immediately I began shaking my head. "There is no need for that, mom. It's all business."

"No sense in being rude, Beth. If he's going to be helping with the morning chores he deserves to eat a good breakfast afterwards. He can decline if he wants but you, Elizabeth Ann Greene, will not be rude to the young man." My mom told me with a pointed look in my direction.

"Yes ma'am. I'll extend the invitation when he gets here in the morning." I told her as I poured the soap into the dishwasher before shutting the lid.

My mom smiled at me as she wiped around the sink before rinsing the rag and draping it over the middle of the sink. "Good girl. Goodnight, Bethie. Love you sweet girl."

"Love you too, Momma. Goodnight." I told her as I flipped the lights off and headed upstairs to crash. Once upstairs in my bedroom I pulled out the folder my dad had given me earlier from under the kids diaper bag and went to sit in the middle of my bed. Opening the folder I began flipping through the small stack of papers, looking for any and all papers pertaining to the farm. I found the paperwork showing where my dad had separated the farm from the residential plots and named me sole owner of the entire 130 acres of farmland. There was also another deed that for my five-acre residential plot. At the back of the folder was an envelope with my name scrawled on the front in my mom's handwriting that I sat aside because I was overwhelmed emotionally for the day. It was hard to grasp that in a few months I would own and be solely responsible for the 130 acres that had been in my family for several generations but that is what's happening.

I had massive ideas for the farm to grow our business but I had been nervous to say anything about them and even more so to mention them to anybody. Currently we ordered our animal feed from a farm in Douglas, Georgia that specialized in organic animal feed. They shipped it to us once a month in 55 gallon barrels. Growing and producing our own animal feed and organic bedding was just one of the things I wanted to do on the farm. That would be one less bill we had throughout the year. Another thing that would save on operating costs would be to collaborate with the local high schools and college for volunteer and intern opportunities in return for educational credits. This would reduce the need for paid farmhands. Of course, I would never get rid of Otis but the other hands typically only last a season or two.

Enlarging the garden area so that we could sell our flowers and crops to the local restaurants, stores, and markets was another idea. Adding to the few fruit trees we had to enlarge that production was another idea. Planting nut bearing trees was another idea. Growing up the farm was just a cattle farm with a home garden because the main focus was on the vet clinic but I had slowly added other animals over the past few years which was a great start. But it was just the tip of the iceberg of the ideas I had to make this farm something my parents and kids could be proud of.

Placing the papers back inside the folder I tucked them into my nightstand drawer before getting ready for bed. My farm days typically started at 5 o'clock in the morning which meant I got up about 4:30 so I had some time to get woke up and drink some coffee before I started my workday. As I slid beneath my blanket, I began mentally planning out my day tomorrow. Daryl's main interest was our animals so that would be our focus while he was here then I would tend to regular farm business after he left for the day.

With everything that had been thrown at me it was no surprise that I tossed and turned all night until my alarm sounded at 4:30 dragging me from my restless slumber. Dragging my tired body from my warm bed I dressed for the day in an old pair of jeans a thrift store t-shirt that was a few sizes too big before stomping my sock clad feet into my boots, winding my hair up into a messy knot on top of my head, tying a knot in the side of my shirt, and winding a bandana around my messy knot. Once I was dressed I grabbed my phone and baby monitor before making my way across the hall to peak in n my sweet babies who slept through the night thankfully. Pressing a soft hand on each of my babies I smiled to myself because despite the circumstances of their creation I was eternally blessed to be their momma. Quietly making my way downstairs I smiled when I saw my momma filling my coffee mug with steaming coffee. "Morning, Momma." I whispered as I pressed a kiss to the side of her head as she handed me my cup.

"Morning, sweet girl." She whispered back as she leaned back against the counter. "Do me a favor and take it easy on the young man that's coming to help out this morning. Okay?"

I looked at her over the rim of my mug as I took tentative sips of the hot beverage that got me moving so early in the mornings. "I make no promises." I told her between sips. "But I'll try my best."

Momma nodded just as a set of headlights swept across the room. "That's all I ask. Have a good morning out there. I'll ring the bell for breakfast." She told me as I grabbed two oranges from the fruit basket and a couple granola bars from the drawer before heading out the door, leaving the baby monitor on the counter for my mom.

I met Daryl Dixon in the driveway as he climbed from his truck. "Morning." I told him as I offered him an orange and a granola bar. "Breakfast. My momma insisted." I told him, knowing full well that my mom was about to prepare a whole big breakfast for when we got done with morning chores.

"Thanks." He mumbled as he pocketed the granola bar and began peeling the orange. "What's on the agenda for this morning?"

Smirking to myself I headed for the barn. "Since you are concerned with our animals I figured we would start there. I can take care of everything else once you leave." I told him as I unlatched the barn doors and began shoving them open.

"Thanks for that but I didn't plan for you to rearrange your day just to accommodate me." He explained as he grabbed the other door, shoving it open and securing it in place while I did the other one.

Heading down to the stockroom I explained. "I haven't really rearranged anything to accommodate you except doing stock inventory and every weekend ranch stuff. The animals always get my special attention on the weekends since I'm not around much during the week." I told him as I began filling the horses buckets with their feed. "First things first, we feed the horses and allow them to eat while we go make our feed and water rounds with the rest of the animals. By the time we get finished checking all the water troughs and feeding everybody these guys will be ready to turn out to pasture for exercise and grazing while we clean their stalls."

"Okay." He said as he grabbed two of the feed buckets. We had ten horses on the property that we used to plow the fields with to cut down on our bills and impact on the environment. Breeding our horse was another income revenue that I had brought to the farm since I began putting my two cents worth in. We made a decent income on the foals we bred because we had good quality stock for work horses and the money we save by not using the big machinery paid for all the extra food we had to purchase. "What's in their feed?" He asked me as he dumped one of his buckets into Buster's food trough.

I began to explain the things that went into our horse feed as we continued dumping feed over the stall doors.

**Daryl**

By the time I heard a bell sound out from where I stood holding the gate open for Beth as she herded the sheep into a new pasture that they would graze on for the next week to let the other pasture regenerate I was exhausted and thoroughly impressed by everything I saw. "What's that?" I asked Beth as she walked by carrying a baby lamb in her arms.

"Breakfast." She said as she kept walking so the last few stragglers would follow her and their friends into the new pasture.

I raised an eyebrow at that because I had thought the orange and granola bar she brought me earlier had been all the breakfast I would be getting until I left. "You mean to tell me that the orange and bar you gave me earlier wasn't breakfast?" I called out to her as I shut the gate behind the last moseying sheep.

She looked at me and shrugged. "If it's the first thing you eat in the morning isn't it called breakfast?"

Laughing at her I reached down to pet a few of the sheep that would need shearing soon. "I suppose so. What do you do with the wool from these guys?" I asked as I looked around at the herd of roughly 30 to 40 sheep varying in age from a few days to a few years.

"We sell it to Tyrese and Karen Foley down in Zebulon for a fair price which includes the shearing of the sheep." She explained as she walked over to where I was standing, still holding the baby lamb in her arms.

I pointed to the baby resting comfortably in her arms. "You aren't leaving him here with his momma?" I asked curiously as I opened the gate so we could step out of it.

She shook her head. "No, his mother wasn't anywhere around when I began moving the herd so I'm going to take this little lady up to the house so my dad can look her over and my mom can fix her a bottle to eat. She looks to be under-weight already and only a few days old. My mom said to invite you to breakfast so you can join us if you want or you can go home. The choice is yours." She said as she began walking the path that led back to the big white farmhouse that stood sentry in the middle of the property.

"Go home and pass up a good home cooked meal? No thanks. I think I will join you, if you don't mind." I told her as I caught up to her fast pace.

She shrugged her shoulders as she looked at me. "I don't care one way or the other but fair warning this is my kids and my momma so be nice and watch your language. I won't tell you twice." She warned as we rounded a bend in the trail and came into view of the front of the house.

"Yes ma'am. I'll be a good boy." I teased as I fell into step behind her. Looking at her walk towards the house I couldn't help but admire the way her jeans fit her petite little bottom. She didn't even look like she had carried kids much less twins.

Apparently my teasing rubbed her the wrong way cause she stopped suddenly in her tracks causing me to bump into her. My hands automatically grabbed onto her hips to keep both of us from falling to the ground. She spun around, shoving my hands off her hips as she glared at me. "You can take this seriously or I'll uninvite you to breakfast." She stated firmly. "And don't ever put your hands on me unless I ask you to."

I held my hands up in defense. "I didn't mean anything by it, Beth. I know how to be respectful, believe it or not. The Horvath's worked hard to teach this old dog new tricks, trust me." I explained quickly.

She took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm sorry." She apologized before turning around and continuing towards the house. When the porch came within view the screams of "Mama!" could be heard all over the property I was certain.

"They're lively early in the morning." I commented as she quickened her pace.

With a glance over her shoulder she smiled at me. "Saturday's are the only day of the week that they wake up without me being right there. They'll calm down fairly quickly once I get up there though they'll be clingy until my sister shows up to collect them. Do you have any kids, Daryl?" She asked as she pointed to the porch where her kids were standing there waving at her.

"I don't. How old are they?" I asked pointing to the excited kids standing there with an elderly woman that I assumed was their grandmother.

Beth smiled as she scooted over to allow me space to walk next to her on the path. "Just turned twenty-one months. It's hard to believe that they are almost two years old already." She said with a shake of her head.

"I'm sure you and their dad will make it a birthday to remember." I said sincerely.

She immediately shook her head. "There dad isn't in the picture. At all. It's just me and my family."

"Oh, I didn't know. I'm sorry." I said as we neared the house.

"It's fine. I'm surprised you didn't already know that tidbit with the way gossip runs in this town." She said as she waved at her babies who were waving at her eagerly.

I shook my head. "Don't pay much attention to gossip because growing up my family was usually part of that gossip and most of the things the folks were saying about us wasn't true."

"The thing I hate about this gossip is that it affects the rest of my family and the only thing I'm at fault for the decision to give life to those innocent babies instead of murdering them before they had a chance to live." She said vehemently.

Raising an eyebrow at her choice of words I began to speak when she shook her head. "Don't ask. Ready for breakfast with the Greene's?" She asked as she placed a smile on her face.

"I suppose so. I've already met two of y'all. How many more can there be?" I asked as we rounded the huge oak tree that stood in the middle of the yard.

Her laugh did little to dispel my nerves but I couldn't question her further because she was attacked by two little red-headed bundles of energy. I reached forward to take the baby lamb from her so she could hug and pick up each of her kids. "Thanks." She whispered to me as she stood up with a kid on each hip.

"No problem." I told her as I followed her the last few feet to the front porch where her father sat next to an older version of Beth. "Mr. Greene." I told him as I stepped forward to shake his hand in greeting before turning to the lady sitting there smiling at our interaction. "Mrs. Greene, I presume?" I asked as I extended my hand in her direction.

The woman smiled brightly at me. "You presume correctly, Mr. Dixon. It's nice to meet you but please call me Annette or Nettie." She said as she squeezed my hand gently.

"Daryl, please. Thank you for inviting me for breakfast, Miss Nettie. It's a pleasant surprise for sure since I thought the orange and granola bar was gonna be breakfast until I left here." I told her as I squeezed her hand gently in return.

Beth scoffed from behind me. "Throw me under the bus why don't you, Daryl!"

We all laughed at her mock outrage before heading inside the house. Breakfast with the Greene's reminded me of all the breakfasts I had shared with the Horvath's. When I pulled out of the driveway after the best breakfast I've had since returning to Georgia I couldn't help but smile broadly to myself. Beth Greene was a hard young lady to win over but I had done it and the signed contract resting in the seat next to me proved me correct. Not only had I gotten the contract with her farm signed and in my possession she also gave me the contact information for the Foley's that sheered their sheep for the wool. I was feeling pretty content with how things had been going and felt that once my store was up and running that I would have no problem stocking it or making a profit from it.


	4. Chapter 4

**_There is some progress on the Beth/Daryl relationship in this chapter and will continue to build in the coming chapters. _**

**_Anyone reading?_**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Daryl**

**April**

News travelled fast in small towns. I knew that before I was a teenager but I had never really paid attention to it before but now I couldn't even sit in the only diner in town without someone approaching me to either ask about my shop or congratulate me on it. Like right now, I was simply trying to eat a quick lunch before Abe and I had to head to Atlanta when Rick Grimes, the local sheriff, slid into the booth opposite me. "Hey Daryl." He said as he settled into the booth. "How's things going?" He asked as he waved at the waitress who promptly brought him a cup of coffee as I chewed my huge bite of hamburger that I had taken right before he sat down.

"Just tryin' to eat lunch so Abe and I can head to Atlanta. Somethin' about needin' to pick out some stuff for the shop." I explained as I tossed a few fries into my mouth.

Rick nodded thoughtfully as he sipped his black coffee. "I drove by the other day and saw that it was coming along quite nicely."

I nodded as I chewed my food before responding. "It is. We're right on schedule. Plan to open the doors the weekend before the Fourth."

"That's great, we get some tourist coming through to camp around the holidays. My wife has been bugging me to talk to you about the shop. As you know, she's a stay at home mom with our three littlest ones still running around the house." He paused to take another sip of his coffee and I decided to just cut to the chase.

"What does she wanna sell in the shop?" I asked him point blank as I took a sip of my sweet tea.

Rick chuckled and dug into the front pocket of his uniform shirt. "Jewelry. She makes them out of wood and resin. She sells them at the local festivals and online but would love it if you would rent her a space to sell in your store or work out something to have them in your shop."

An idea popped into my head when he mentioned that she sold her jewelry online. I wasn't a jewelry person or anything of the sort but the colorful trinkets that Rick laid on the table were pretty and unlike anything I had ever seen before. "You said your wife sells these online?" I asked as I fingered the pretty items on the table.

"Michonne has a degree in web design but gave up her career when she fell pregnant with Andre." He explained. Through the grapevine I had learned of the family dynamic the sheriff had with his ex-wife, current wife, best friend, and their six kids between both couples. It was enough to make anybody's head spin but the kids seemed happy and that was all that mattered to the four adults who could just as easily be worst enemies instead of happy co-parents. "Why do you ask?"

Wiping my mouth with a napkin I folded my arms against the edge of the table. "I've been thinkin' that the shop needs somethin' online since that is where everybody looks for stuff at nowadays." I explained with a smirk on my lips. "Think the missus would be up to settin' somethin' up for me? I'm useless when it comes to the internet."

Rick smiled as he pointed to the jewelry his wife had pushed him to show Daryl. "Does that have anything to do with you selling her stuff in your shop?" He asked cautiously.

I immediately shook my head. "Absolutely not. If you'll walk out to the truck with me, I have an extra contract in there that you can take back to your wife and look over with her. I'll pay her to do the internet thing." I explained.

"A contract?" Rick inquired as I waved to the waitress for my check.

With a shrug of my shoulders I explained. "It's no big deal, really, just a basic consumer contract between me, the store owner, and whoever wants to sell something in my store. I've got so many of them already signed it ain't even funny." I said as the waitress laid my check on the table. After tossing some money on the table I stood up to head outside.

"Oh yeah? From who?" Rick asked as he followed me outside to where my truck was parked.

Pulling the bulging folder from beneath my front seat I flipped to the back where I pulled out a blank copy of the contract, handing it to Rick. "I've got the Monroe's for desserts, the Raleigh's for fruits and veggies, the Greene's for meat products, the Foley's for wool items, the Marinez's for homemade tortillas and salsa, the Cloyd's for homemade soaps and oils, and the Samuel's for homemade toys and pasta. Now I am soon to have the Grimes's for wood and resin jewelry." I said as I flipped through the signed contracts I had collected over the past three months.

Rick whistled lowly as I closed the folder and placed it back underneath my seat. "That's quite impressive, Daryl. I think your shop will be a success and great addition to our community. When I get home I'll ask Chonne about the website and have her call you about it and the contract."

I nodded as I climbed in my truck. "Sounds good, Sheriff. I really do gotta run before Abe starts getting agitated."

Slapping the hood of my truck Rick smiled at me before heading towards his cruiser.

That evening as I pulled into the driveway of my house, I felt utterly exhausted from the afternoon in Atlanta with Abraham picking out everything from counters to saws to wall tile to storage shelves. But my work day wasn't over yet. The cabinets had come in for my kitchen and bathrooms which meant I had a late night ahead of me because I had opted to install them myself to save a little money. Clicking the button that opened my new garage door I had installed a few weeks ago I spotted all of the cabinet boxes along with Dog waiting for me. As I parked my truck in the empty space next to the cabinets Dog ran outside to do his business. I let him run loose while the workers were here or I was here but when they left for the day they put him in the garage if I wasn't home yet. "This is gonna be fun." I mumbled as I pulled my phone out of my pocket to dial Irma to let her know the cabinets she had picked out were in.

"Hello son." She said after a few rings.

I chuckled as I climbed from the truck. "Your cabinets came in today." I told her as I grabbed the pieces of paper taped to the door that led into the house. It was the kitchen layout. "Why do I need so many cabinets?" I asked as I unlocked the door and headed inside. The house had taken on some massive changes in the past two months. We were officially onto what Abraham called the finishing touches stage. Several weeks ago when he had told me it was time to pick out cabinets, paint colors, and floors I had immediately called Irma and handed the phone to Abraham. I trusted her to pick out something that looked good and wouldn't break my bank account.

"Because the day is going to come, Daryl Dixon, that you are going to meet a woman and either fill that house with kids or sell it. Might as well do it up right the first go round." She explained as I walked into what was the kitchen space. The lines on the paper were also on the floor in bright green spray paint.

I grunted as I headed for the deck to sit on the chair I had put out there a few months ago. "If you say so. How's things going up there?" I asked as I settled in the chair that allowed me a view of the creek just beyond the edge of my yard where Dog was splashing through the shallow water. Dale and Irma had opted to hire a couple to run the farm and butcher shop in their absence and had been training them for the past month.

"They're going great. How's the butcher shop and store coming along? You haven't sent me any pictures in over a week." She chastised playfully.

"When I'm over there tomorrow for the latest inspection I will be sure and take lots of pictures for you. Promise." I told her honestly. Abraham had been overseeing the spraying of the epoxy in the abattoir and butcher shop areas to make them watertight, everything was being coated in the epoxy; floors, walls, and ceilings. That's what we were getting inspected on tomorrow.

"Sounds like a plan, son. I know it's late so I'll let you go but just know that I expect pictures of the cabinets once you get them up along with the shop and store progress." She told me firmly.

Smiling to myself I sat up a little in my chair. "Yes ma'am. I'm about to order me a pizza and get to work hanging the cabinets you picked out for me. Tell Dale 'hey' for me, will ya?" I asked her as I whistled at Dog to let him know that he was being watched though he rarely went past the other side of the creek.

"Absolutely, son. Love ya."

"Love y'all too." I said just before ending the call. Heading inside I fished around on the plywood that served as multiple pieces of furniture all in one for the piece of paper with Rhee Pizzeria's phone number on it. Once I found it I quickly dialed the number ordering myself a large supreme pizza with extra meat on it set for delivery then got to work hauling cabinets inside the house. Thankfully the things were already put together so all I had to do was find where they went and secure them in place.

Thankfully the uppers and lowers were two different colors so they were easy to tear apart and the guys had numbered each cabinet to coordinate with the paper they had taped to the door. After hauling all the cabinets in from the garage I had worked up quite a sweat so I tugged my shirt off since I was home alone. I never took my shirt off around other people due to the scars my sperm donor had given me during a particularly rough beating on my thirteenth birthday. Tossing my shirt onto the plywood catch-all I started organizing the lower dark gray cabinets according to the number on the back and the paper I had taped to the kitchen wall. In the middle of securing the sink cabinet beneath the window there was a knocking on the front door. Laying the drill down I quickly made my way to the front door to collect the pizza and pay the delivery driver. Yanking open the new solid door I gasped when I saw who was standing on the other side. None other than Beth Greene herself. "Beth? You deliver pizza's now too?" I asked curiously as I took the box from her hands. She wasn't wearing the same uniform that the other pizza delivery drivers wore. Instead she had a Rhee Pizzeria t-shirt paired with cut-off shorts and flip-flops.

She quickly smiled and shook her head. "Not really. Just helping my sister out—" Her gasp stopped her spiel mid-sentence and I immediately knew what caused her reaction. I had just turned to set the pizza box down so I could dig my wallet out to pay her. And I had forgot to put my shirt back on before answering the door. "Daryl?" She inquired softly.

I immediately stood back up and faced her with a frown on my face. "I don't need or want your sympathy, Greene, so save it for someone else." I told her harshly as I dug my wallet out of my back pocket, pulling out a $20 and shoving it in her hand before gripping the edge of the door, preparing to slam it shut to end the awkwardness.

"I understand." She whispered as she reached out to place her fingers on my fingers that gripped the door so tightly my knuckles were white. "Believe me, if anybody understands not wanting sympathy, it's me. Your secret is safe with me, I promise. Have a good night, Daryl." She whispered before turning around and heading back down the stone path that led to the driveway where her SUV was parked.

I watched her climb in her car and pull completely out of my driveway before moving from the doorway. "Idiot." I mumbled to myself before closing the door, grabbing the pizza box, and heading for the deck to eat my supper.

After the pizza was devoured by Dog and myself I got back to work on the cabinets in the kitchen before moving to the bathrooms. The cabinetry matched the dark gray of the kitchen lower cabinets but were much easier to put in since there was only seven cabinets total for both bathrooms. I put all of my focus into getting the cabinets installed correctly in an attempt to not dwell on Beth Greene's face when she had glimpsed the scars that slashed across my back, tipping over onto my shoulders and around my waist in spots. It wasn't working though, all I could think about was that initial look of shock when she had seen the scars and when I had snapped at her. I felt horrible for the way I had responded to her gasp, she didn't deserve to be talked to that way and I was worried that it would effect our business relationship because in just a few weeks I was going to start sourcing the meats from her farm. Once I had all the cabinets in place it was late but I just knew I wouldn't rest until I apologized to Beth for the way I had reacted. It was instinctual and I needed her to know that.

Heading for my truck I pulled out the stack of signed contracts that also had the contact information for each person, flipping through them until I came upon the one for Greene Farms. Tapping Beth's cell phone number into my phone I was just about to hit the call button when I realized it was late and I didn't want to wake her kids up or her if they happened to be asleep. So I decided to text her instead.

_I just want to apologize for the way I bit your head off earlier. I'm sorry. Daryl._

Once the message read sent I pocketed the phone and stuffed the contracts back under my seat before locking up for the night.

I was living in the house but it was barely functional but at least now I had running water and a working toilet. The only way to shower at the moment was to take a dip in the cold water of the creek or by the shower bag I had hung up on the back deck. Grabbing my towel I headed for the deck to get in a quick shower before bed. It was a true blessing to not have any close neighbors because I stripped down to my birthday suit right there on the deck, placing my phone and wallet in the chair along with my towel. I was just about to flip the lever to let the water that had been heated by the sun all day pour over me when my phone dinged with an incoming text. Quickly grabbing it from the chair I saw that it was a return message from none other than Beth Greene.

_We all have demons, secrets, and skeletons in our closets. People tend to lash out when they are uncovered without their permission. Though I will say this…YOU are the one that answered YOUR door without a shirt on._

Deciding it would be a little too on the perverted side to text her while standing on my deck naked I tossed the phone back onto the chair before stepping under the shower head I had rigged up when I first moved in. Grabbing my shampoo from the railing I poured a dollop in my hand before twisting the lever that would sent the water pouring down. I made quick work of my shower before the water ran out, ending my shower whether I wanted to or not. It would be nice to be able to stand under a scalding hot shower where the water wouldn't run out but that was going to happen in the next few weeks. Since purchasing this house I had escaped to the local motel a few times for a good nights rest and a hot shower but I had toughed it out right her for the most part. Wrapping the towel around my waist I gathered my dirty jeans, phone, and wallet from the deck before making my way back inside. I headed for what was going to be my office when everything was said and done but was currently serving as my bedroom. The room was the most done room of the entire house only needing flooring and paint. Tossing my dirty jeans into the clothes basket I settled down onto the air mattress that I had a love-hate relationship with to reply to Beth's text.

_That's why I'm saying I'm sorry. I didn't think before yanking the door open. I'm sorry you had to see that, I know they're revolting. Again, I'm sorry about biting your head off. _

Before I could lay the phone on the makeshift nightstand it dinged with another message.

_My head is still intact so we'll call it no harm no foul. This time. Would it make you feel better if I told you that your scars are no worse than mine?_

_Impossible._

_Not impossible. Trust me. Mine are just on the inside whereas yours are on the outside._

_You can't possible have scars that equal to mine, Miss Greene. Trust me._

_Trust isn't the issue here, Dixon. It's simply lack of knowledge. Maybe one day I'll show you my scars to prove that they are equal to yours if not worse._

_One day? I'm old and don't take hints very well._

_You are not old, older maybe, but definitely not old. This conversation proves to me that you are not old-old because old-old people aren't this good with technology. _

_I'm horrible with technology so there goes that theory._

_Is your lack of knowledge of technology due to age and lack of interest or lack of exposure?_

_A little of all, I think. _

_Hmm. Still doesn't make you old. A lack of exposure can lead to a lack of interest that has nothing to do with your age. I was raised in the technology era and resist it most days, preferring the old ways of doing things._

_I definitely wasn't raised in the technology era._

_How old are you Mr. Dixon?_

_Too old to allow you to entertain anything with me._

_I'm a grown woman who is older than her numerical age due to circumstances beyond my control so let me make my own decisions, thank you very much. We are just having a friendly conversation, aren't we? It's not like I'm pledging my love and loyalty to you. Lighten up and tell me how old you are._

_This has went far beyond a simply apology text._

_It has. You okay with that?_

_Honestly, I don't know. How old are you?_

_Don't you know it's rude to ask a woman her age when you won't even answer it about yourself?_

_Soon to be 33. Old enough to know better than to mix business with pleasure. Your turn._

_25 in October. Old enough to know to know that every man isn't horrible._

_Hmm. You don't look 24 but you act 34._

_You look older than your age but 32 is so NOT old._

_Life's not been a cakewalk for me. Those scars come with a lot of baggage and none of it's good._

_My scars have baggage too, mine just walk and talk and call me 'Mama'. I have to look my baggage in their sweet innocent precious faces every single day, Daryl. Just because I'm friendly and pretty and usually have a smile on my face doesn't mean my life has been picture perfect. Far from it actually._

I was stunned at what I read on the tiny screen and was honestly speechless. Her kids were baggage like my father being a drunk and abuser was my baggage. Which meant the father of her kids must have done something horrible to her. But I knew from my own experience that it was better to not ask for more information, she would tell me in her own time if she wanted to.

Taking a deep breath I replied to her last text.

_I never meant to imply that your life had been perfect, Greene, I'm sorry if that is the way you took it. I've managed to insult you twice in one day so maybe it would be better if we just said bye for now?_

_Technically the insults happened on separate days since it's four minutes past midnight but I have a busy day tomorrow so I better get to sleep. Goodnight Daryl, it was nice talking to you tonight._

_Ditto. Goodnight Beth._

_BTW…nobody says Ditto anymore, old man. Night._

The next morning as I tugged on a pair of work jeans and a t-shirt that I had cut the sleeves off of shortly after I bought it before hopping in my truck and making my way to the work sight. Pulling into the gravel lot I couldn't help but get excited at the almost finished storefront that stood tall and proud at the front of the lot. I had originally shown Abraham a picture of what I had wanted the storefront to look like and he had pulled it off 100%. The storefront, while brand new, looked like it had been here for years. It had rough sawn lumber slats for siding, big front porch with awning roof extending from the front of the building, and bright red accents in the roofing material and the window trim. The slaughtering and main butchering area at the back of the property resembled a metal storage building. Standing on the front porch was none other than Abraham and Jacqui, both with clipboards and tablets in their hands, waiting for me. "Good morning." I called out to them as I climbed out of my truck.

"Morning, Daryl, nice to see you again." Jacqui said as she smiled at me. She was a nice woman and I am grateful she is the inspector we got for this project because she understood my desire to do everything up to code.

I nodded at her as I stepped up onto the porch with them. "Nice to see you again, too. Shall we get started?" I asked as I motioned towards the front door of the store.

"Absolutely." Jacqui said as she stepped through the doorway. It was always nerve wracking to stand back and watch her do her job, not knowing what she was putting into her tablet or writing on her clipboard, but we had no other choice. We stayed close to answer any questions she had for us but far enough away to not crowd her. When we walked through the swinging door that separated the kitchen and secondary butchering area from the store front Jacqui turned to us. "What kind of counters and cabinets are you putting in this space?" She asked as she looked around at the newly sprayed epoxy floors and walls.

Clearing my throat I looked her straight on. "Stainless steel everything in both this space and the main butchering area out back. That way cleanup is easy and it lowers the risk of bacteria growth." I explained confidently.

Jacqui nodded with a smile on her face. "Good choice." She said before jotting something down on her tablet before moving on. The plumbing had already been inspected and approved so she skipped right over the area that was roughed in for the sinks and wash stations.

The inspection took almost an hour and a half to complete but when Jacqui handed us the 'continue work' slip we all breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you." I told her honestly as I handed Abraham the piece of paper that he would tape up in the front window for easy viewing.

"You're welcome, Daryl. I don't know why you stress yourself out every time we do one of these walk-throughs. You guys pass each and every time with flying colors." Jacqui said as she folded her tablet and clipboard against her chest. "I honestly can't wait for the doors to open so I can see all this hard work in action."

I smiled at her. "Me either. We're aiming for the weekend before the Fourth as the time to open our doors to the public. I'm going to start slaughtering and butchering in two weeks so the meat will be ready for when we open." I explained to her.

"The abattoir and main butchering area look amazing, Daryl. Good luck with everything. I'll see you for one final inspection before you can start doing your cutting and dicing, okay?" She reminded me with a raised eyebrow.

Nodding my head in understanding I stuffed my hands in my pockets. "Yes ma'am."

She laughed as she stepped towards her car. "Bye gentlemen, till next time."

Abe and I both waved at her as she climbed in the state car she drove. When it was just the two of us left Abe clapped me on the shoulder and squeezed. "Getting a little nervous?" He asked as he leaned back against the railing of the porch.

I shrugged my shoulders as I mimicked his stance across from him. "Not really, just ready for it all to be done so I can get to work making money instead of spending it."

"I understand. Want to help out for a bit until the guys get here?" He asked me as he nodded towards the front door.

Pushing back to my feet I nodded. "Yeah, what we doin' today?"

He just laughed and headed inside hollering "Come on, man." over his shoulder.

**Beth **

"Mama, want." Aiden said as he pointed to the bags of grapes on the cooler shelf. Reaching out I ruffled his hair playfully causing him to swat at my hand. "Gwape, Mama." He demanded with a serious look on his face. Grocery shopping with two toddlers was near impossible so I typically swapped who I brought each time I came to the store while my mom or sister watched the other one. Today was Aiden's turn while Aurora stayed with her Nana and Papa.

Grabbing a bag of purple seedless grapes I placed the back next to Aiden in the seat part of the cart. "Don't eat them all, Nana is cooking dinner." I told him as I opened the bag for him to snag a grape to munch on while I finished grocery shopping. "Your Aunt Maggie has taught you a very bad habit, young man." I told him as I grabbed the mushrooms my mom had requested along with a bag of mini carrots.

"Yum, Mama." Aiden said as he made a big show of putting a juicy grape in his mouth causing me to laugh at his antics.

Looking down at the list I had made before leaving I began pushing the cart forward, only to slam into something causing me to drop my list and Aiden to look at me with wide eyes. "It's okay, baby." I soothed him as I looked up, only to realize that I had pushed my cart into the one and only Daryl Dixon. The man I had not heard a single word from in over a week. "I'm sorry, Daryl, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going." I apologized as I caught Aiden turning around in his seat to check out who I was talking to.

"Dog?" He asked me as he pointed to Daryl.

I smiled at him and nodded. "Yep, Daryl brought his dog in a few weeks ago. Can you say hi?"

Aiden smiled and waved at Daryl. "Gwape?" He asked Daryl as he held out a grape towards the man who still hadn't spoken a single word but smiled at my son.

Daryl took the grape my son offered him and popped it into his mouth with a smile down at my little boy who was watching to see his reaction. "Those are really good. Thanks, little one." Daryl told him as Aiden nodded eagerly.

"Yum!" He said as he popped another grape into his mouth with a bright smile on his little face.

I chuckled at his reaction, shaking my head at my silly boy before looking back up at Daryl. "I'm really sorry about running into you."

"Seems like that's all we do is apologize to each other." He said softly as he wheeled his buggy up next to me so that we were standing side by side. "First me, now you."

Shrugging my shoulders. "It happens, I suppose. How've you been?" I asked as I plucked a canister of oats off the shelf to add to the cart.

"Busy now that the structure of the store and shop are up. Maybe you wanna swing by and take a look at it now that it's almost finished? Your animals are gonna be comin' there in a few weeks." He rattled nervously as he plucked a box of Twix off the shelf that caught my son's eye also. It was a rare occasion that they were allowed sugary cereal but I personally loved it and had to buy it when they weren't with me.

"Mama?" Aiden called softly as he patted my hand to get my attention.

Looking back at him I seen him glance at the box that was in Daryl's hands. "Yes sir?" I asked as I brushed his longish red hair back out of his eyes.

"Those?" He asked pointing to the box Daryl was placing in his cart.

"Your Nana is going to kill us." I told him as I plucked a box off the shelf to hand to him so he could dump it in the cart, his favorite part of grocery shopping. "What do you say?" I asked him as he placed the box in the back of the cart.

He looked at me with a bright smile. "Love Mama!"

"I love you too but thank you is what I was looking for." I told him as I handed him a grape to pull his attention back to eating his grapes. He shoved a grape in his mouth with enthusiasm causing me to shake my head at his antics.

Daryl chuckled at our interaction. "I don't want to keep y'all. Just shoot me a text and let me know about coming to see the shop and store." Daryl said quietly.

"I'll look over my schedule tonight and let you know when I can squeeze a few hours out to come take a look. I've got finals coming up this week so I don't know how soon it will happen though." I admitted cautiously.

Shrugging his shoulders he smirked at me. "Just let me know, college girl. Bye Aiden. Later Beth." Daryl said as he made his way in the opposite direction.

With a smile on my face I quickly made my way through the grocery store while Aiden munched happily on his grapes. By the time Aiden and I made it back to the farm the driveway was filled with vehicles which was typical for Sunday dinners. Shawn and Veronica, until they moved back, came down from Atlanta most Sunday's to attend church with our parents and stayed through dinner. Maggie and Glenn came out from their place in town for a chance to eat Mom's food and catch everybody up on the local gossip they heard at the Pizzeria. Otis and Patricia had been coming over for Sunday dinner my entire life and even when my siblings didn't show up, Otis and Patricia always did. "We're home!" I called out as I held the door open for Aiden to walk through carrying his one grocery bag so he could help me carry things inside. "There's more in the car!" I called out as I emptied my hands on the floor in front of the refrigerator.

"Here, Mama." Aiden said as he handed me the bag he had carried inside for me.

Raking his hair out of his eyes I pressed a kiss to his forehead. "Thanks buddy. Go find Rory." I told him just as my mom and Patricia walked into the kitchen.

"Rory is in the den with Maggie and Veronica." My mom said as Aiden ran past her on his quest to find his sister. "Was the grocery very busy?"

Sunday dinners were a bit chaotic as we all squeezed around the dining room table, even with the extra sections put in, it was a tight fit with 9 adults and two highchairs. Dinner was never a quiet formal thing at the Greene house, it was the time when everybody talked about their days and plans for the next day. "Dad, what is the space above the clinic used for?" Shawn asked during a rare quiet moment.

"Storage, why?" My dad asked curiously as he took a bite of the chicken fried steaks my momma and Patricia had cooked for dinner.

Shawn looked at Veronica who smiled and nodded in return. "Ronnie and I were thinking about living above the clinic for a while."

"It's just a bunch of empty rooms son. No plumbing or anything up there. The electricity of course was redone when the clinic was but that's it." Dad explained with a shake of his head.

Shawn shrugged his shoulders. "That's okay, better actually because we can make it our own. We're just not ready for a big house and yard and everything while we are learning to take over the clinic."

Veronica is the one that spoke up next. "Once the baby comes, it will also be more convenient for us to live right above where we work."

"What about your land here?" I asked as I placed a few more pieces of cut up meat on each of my kids' trays.

Shawn smiled at me. "It'll still be here when we're ready for the yard and house and everything, right?"

"Of course. Can I use it for grazing until that time comes?"

"I don't see why not." Shawn said with a nod of his head.

My dad smiled at both me and Shawn before turning to my sister to dig around in her life.

By the time everybody had left, bath and bedtime routine for the twins done, I collapsed across my bed exhausted but knew I still had some studying to get done since my last ever final exams began tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock. Deciding to take a chill out moment before studying I grabbed my phone off the charger so I could scroll through Facebook for a few minutes. When I pulled the charger out I saw that I had a text message causing my heart to speed up since most of the people that typically text me had just left a short time ago. Putting in my password I couldn't help but smile brightly when I saw the message was from Daryl. It was a video of Dog splashing in a creek, barking at something under the water.

_Well, he looks happy._ I replied before opening up Facebook to see if anything interesting had popped up.

It wasn't long before a message came through in return. _He was until I had to give him a bath with the water hose._

_LOL. Seeing him splashing in the creek makes me want to go swimming so bad._

_Why don't you go?_

_Too busy but that will change after graduation in a few weeks, hopefully. Speaking of, I gotta hit these books for my first final tomorrow. I'll look over my farm/clinic/school schedule and see when I can squeeze out a few hours to come see your shop/store. I'll let you know tomorrow._

_Okay, don't hit them too hard. _

_LOL_

After my last message I tossed the phone aside to grab my book, notebook, and laptop to get some serious studying done.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**BETH**

By Wednesday I was wore out and beat down between finals, working at the clinic, farm work, and dealing with two sick babies. Aiden had woken up Monday morning with a slight fever and pink cheeks so I had started alternating fever reducing meds for him. Aurora started running a low-grade fever Monday night which turned into vomiting profusely Tuesday by noon. Taking them both to the doctor Tuesday after finals and before work resulted in a diagnosis of stomach bugs and ear infections for both babies. So here I was Wednesday evening laying on my bed propped against the headboard, knees bent, trying to study and comfort my two sick babies. Aiden was laying on me, stomach to stomach with his head on my shoulder and legs sprawled on either side of me while Aurora was bottom to bottom with him as she lay stretched out against my knees playing with her stuffed dog. I held a book in one hand while the other one rested alternated between rubbing Aiden's back and Aurora's stomach. "Love, Mama." Aiden mumbled as he turned his face into my neck with a heavy sigh.

"I love you too, buddy." I reassured him as I pushed his hair out of his face so I could press my lips to his forehead to check his temperature, he wasn't warm anymore thankfully. Looking up at his sister I saw her watching me with barely open eyes. "I love you too, sweet girl." I whispered to her as I reached a hand up to tuck one of her curls behind her ear.

She smiled sleepily at me before allowing her eyes to slide fully shut. Laying my book down I placed one hand on Aurora's stomach and the other on Aiden's back and closed my eyes to enjoy the rhythmic movements of their breathing to calm me and relax me. It was moments like this that made all the stress I was under worth it. My kids deserved the world and I was determined to give it to them starting with making this farm more eco-friendly. My phone dinging pulled me from my relaxed state but thankfully didn't disturb my sick and resting babies. Stretching my arm towards my nightstand without moving my body too much I managed to nab my phone and unplug it from the charger. Facebook. One of my college classmates posting about how stressed she was about the finals she had to take tomorrow. If she only knew what real stress was. I had two sick babies and finals to worry about. Deciding to do something spontaneous I pulled up my camera, snapping a picture of me with my two snoozing babies laid out on top of me, and post it with the caption of 'Mommy time vs. Study Time'. I rarely posted anything on social media and NEVER of my kids so this was going to be shocking to people that didn't know about my home life. Since I was feeling spontaneous, I decided to send the picture to Daryl also but changed the caption to _How you like my human blanket?_

_Looks heavy. They okay?_

_Stomach bugs and ear aches but otherwise just needy. How's the shop coming?_

_Ouch. It's almost finished, actually. You're not sick are you? I thought you had finals this week._

_Sick babies don't care if I have 8 finals to complete in 5 days but I'm just drained. I'm so ready for this week to just be over with._

_You working at the clinic too?_

_No. Last week was my last week because my brother and sister-n-law moved back to take over the place so my dad could retire and I can focus on the farm. All I have this week is the farm, the kids, and finals._

_That's still a lot to handle on your own._

_I'm not on my own, I have my family to help._

_Yeah, but I've seen you in action, you like to do it all on your own._

_Ugh._

_Sorry but it's true. Maybe you need a break this weekend?_

_The job of being mommy to these munchkins doesn't come with breaks or vacations._

_Really? Your mom or sister wouldn't watch them for a few hours so you could go have some fun?_

_Are you offering me some fun, Mr. Dixon?_

_Was thinking maybe you could go check out the shop and store then maybe come splash in my creek with Dog and just relax for a little bit. You said it looked like fun._

_Hmm._

_Gotta check your schedule?_

_Yep. But I'm thinking maybe Otis and the guys can handle the work here Saturday afternoon while my sister had the kids for a few hours. That work for you?_

_Saturday sounds perfect. Want some help with the animals Saturday morning?_

_I never turn down free help._

_And I never turn down free breakfast._

_See you Saturday, bright and early, Dixon. Don't be late._

_I'm never late. Can I bring Dog?_

_Of course. It's a farm, animals of all kinds are welcome. See y'all then._

_Ok. See you then._

The conversation literally lasted less than 10 minutes but I felt rejuvenated once again so I eased up on the bed and began the tedious process of getting my kids off of me and into their own beds without fully waking them up.

Since I wasn't working at the clinic anymore I had more time to spend at home with my mom. "Momma, can I ask your opinion about something?" I asked her Thursday afternoon as I sat on a stool in front of the two high chairs to help my kids eat their lunch of fish sticks and carrots.

"You know you can, sweetheart. What's this about?" She asked as she leaned against the counter to give me her full attention.

Sighing heavily I pushed Aurora's juice cup towards her so she would take a drink. "I want to make some big changes to the farm and I don't know how to tell Daddy and Otis about them."

"What kind of changes you talking about making? You've already done a bunch in the past two years."

I laughed and nodded. "I know but I have big ideas, momma."

"You always did dream big and I suspected that this would be no different." She said with a bright smile on her face.

"I wanna sell Daddy's tractors and farming equipment." I whispered as I watched her face for a reaction and I got it as soon as the words registered. He eyes got wide and her jaw dropped a little bit. "He's gonna be mad, ain't he?"

My momma shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know but how you plan to keep up with the fields and garden without a tractor and other stuff?"

"Horses. I wanna do everything with horses." I told her with a confident smile on my face. "What do you think?" I asked, slightly nervous.

She crossed her arms over her shoulders as she looked at me. "Tractors are used because it makes the jobs easier and quicker but they are also expensive and eventually have to be replaced. One thing horses can do that tractors can't is breed and reproduce."

I nodded along with everything she said because it was all true but I had done my research and looked over the books of the farm for the past ten years and I KNEW that we would save thousands of dollars over a ten year period using horses instead of tractors. We would still have a few fuel operated machines but they would be pulled by horses instead of tractors which not only would save on fuel costs but it would also cut down on the damage to the soil that the large tires and sheer weight of the tractors caused. "Past the initial investment of obtaining more work horses the only costs I will have for them is feed, water, and the farrier. There is no fuel costs, parts to buy, or mechanics to pay. To me, it is a win-win situation." I explained as I pushed a carrot towards Aiden.

"Seems like you already have your mind made up then."

Looking at her I smiled because that was true. "I do but I still would like to hear Dad and Otis's opinions because they have been working this farm longer than I've been alive."

"Both of those men sat down and agreed to put this farm in your hands because they both believed in your ability to make it something more than just an ordinary cattle farm. They will support whatever decision you make but you are probably gonna have a fight on your hands over selling your Daddy's new tractor." She said with a wink in my direction before turning back to the stove where she had strawberry jam going in a huge pot.

"He can keep the dang tractor, just keep them off my fields." I said with a chuckle causing my momma to giggle too.

"We'll see about that. What other grandiose ideas do you have for the place?" She asked as she stirred the blood red liquid.

With a huge smile on my face I excitedly told her all of my plans, both short term and long term, for the farm. "What do you think?" I asked her when I was finished.

"I think I am so very lucky to have you as my daughter." She whispered as she walked over to me, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "You are going to do amazing things in your lifetime, Beth, and I'm so proud to be your momma." She whispered before going back to her pot of jam.

"Thanks, momma." I whispered as I grabbed the wet washcloth to clean the kids hands and faces up before turning them loose to go play. "Oh by the way, Daryl is coming to help with the morning chores on Saturday. Just wanted to let you know so you could fix enough for breakfast." I told my mom as I walked out of the kitchen after the kids.

Driving home from my last final on Friday I saw a huge white banner with 'AUCTION' wrote in huge red letters on it and decided to go take a look. My mom and I had been going to auctions since I was a little girl, most of the time we didn't buy anything huge but I had seen massive things go for tiny prices so it never hurt to look at auctions. Pulling off the highway I followed the signs down a dirt road and into a driveway that was littered with vehicles and people. About 250 feet from the road stood a massive old farmhouse that had definitely seen better days but was absolutely magnificent and HUGE! I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and immediately called my mother as I headed for the house to look around on the inside. "Momma, you'll never believe what I found!" I said excitedly as soon as she answered the phone.

"What?" she asked, chuckling at my hyper excited tone.

"A beautiful old house that is going up for auction in a little bit." I said, giving a little squeal as I stepped onto the porch that beautiful detail that was a rare find in this day and age. "It's fantastic, Momma."

"What are you thinking, Bethie?" My mom asked with a sigh.

I couldn't contain the smile on my face as I walked through the old heavy front door that needed a little bit of work to make it easier to move but was otherwise perfect. "I want it. But I want it on my spot." I whispered as I stepped into the foyer of the main floor, grabbing a flyer with all the details of the home printed on it.

"It's expensive to move a house, Beth. And what about the plans to build your dream home?" She asked as I walked through the rooms downstairs.

As I walked through the rooms I was making a list in my head of what each room could be used for. The downstairs was massive and had two stairways that led to the upstairs which was traditional in an old home like this with one being a servants stairs accessed from the kitchen. I also was taking a mental not on what would not be able to make the 9 mile trek to the farm such as the brick fireplaces and most likely the two massive porches that had that old world southern character that people paid thousands trying to recreate. "Momma, this house is amazing and huge." I told her excitedly as I headed back towards the staircase by the front door that led upstairs. "I'm gonna hang around to see how much it goes for."

"Okay. See anything else that looks neat or interesting?" She asked, getting her auction enjoyment spirit back.

"Lots. I'll bring you home some things too." I told her confidently as I climbed the stairs cautiously to the second level. "Give my babies hugs and kisses for me. I'll see you guys in a little bit." I told her as I tested each step before putting my full weight on it.

My mom sighed. "Don't overbid on the house but good luck."

"Thanks." I said as I hung up the phone just in time to gasp at what I saw as I stepped onto the upstairs landing. Old original wood on the walls, floors, and ceilings with huge windows at either end of the hallway that had four doorways off of it. "I've got to have you." I whispered to myself as I finished exploring the partially demoed upstairs.

After walking through the inside and outside of the house I was absolutely in love with it and more determined than ever to get it. I kept my enthusiasm to myself as I wondered around the tables set up outside and then into the barn that was almost as big as the house. In the barn I saw some harnessing equipment for teams of work horses which is about the only thing in the barn that I was interested in so I headed back outside to mingle around by myself while I waited on the auction to begin. It wasn't long before I heard the auctioneer call for everyone to gather around so they could get started. Knowing how these things worked I knew I would be here for a while because the auctioned off all the little stuff first before moving onto the bigger things like the equipment and the houses. As discretely as I could I snapped pictures of the house and saved them to my phone. My mom didn't have a cell phone, only the house phone, so I couldn't text her the pictures unfortunately. While I waited for the auctioneer to get to the things I was interested in I decided to send Daryl a picture and see what he thought about the house.

*annetaylorphotographyanddesign*dot*zenfolio*dot*com/p878719467* _See what I found!_

_How old is that house?_

Looking at the piece of paper I had folded up and stuffed in my pocket while I explored the house I was shocked to see exactly how old the home was. _It was built in 1890!_

_I think that constitutes as old. I'm beginning to think you have a fetish for old stuff._

_Maybe. Isn't the house beautiful though? The inside is absolutely magnificent. I think I'm in love!_

_It's a gorgeous house. Who are all those people?_

_Other people attending the auction that just started._

_You're at an auction to get a house?_

_Well it wasn't my original intent but now that I have seen the beauty of it, yes I'm at an auction to buy a house._

_Good luck. It's incredible that it is still standing at 128 years old._

_Thanks! _I told him as I stuffed my phone back in my pocket to pay attention to the auctioneer once again as he rattled quickly about the items on the auction block so to speak.

It was nearly two hours later before the house itself came up for bid, as a whole. "Now we're gonna try to auction this beautiful old lady off as a whole before we start piecing it out but a few details first, huh? This beauty was built in 1890 with the side addition added in 1912, offering up 4,552 square feet of living space. We had Wolfe House Movers come appraise this beauty for all of y'all. The brick chimneys, all five of them, have to come down before this lady hits the highway. The side addition has to be removed and transported separately because it makes the house too wide to travel. How about we start the bid at three thousand dollars shall we?" The offers quickly started being shouted out but I smartly kept my mouth shut until several of the bidders gave up with a huff and shook their heads when the auctioneer pointed at them. "Nineteen thousand. Going once!"

I shoved my hand in the air quickly waving around the flyer with the house details on it. "We've got another one interested at twenty thousand. Anyone else?" He asked as he looked around the crowd of people that had considerably thinned out in the past few hours.

"Twenty-three!" The young man that had been bidding consistently since the beginning shouted above everybody else.

"Twenty-four." I said loud and clear with a glare at the young man who wore dress pants and a button-up shirt to a farm auction. "Jackass." I mumbled under my breath. He seemed like the type of piranha that came to buy these old farmhouses with the plan to tear it down for the parts and pieces.

He rolled his eyes at me before crossing him arms over his chest. "Twenty-five." He said in my direction.

"Six."

"Nine."

"Thirty thosuand." I said firmly with a smirk on my face. Just because I was young and dressed in ripped blue jeans and an old t-shirt didn't mean anything when it came to my determination. And I was determined to save this beautiful old house from that man's grimy hands.

The guy shook his head. "I'm out. Good luck." He said sarcastically as he shook his head again at the auctioneer's point in his direction.

"Well young lady, thirty thousand dollars for forty-five hundred square feet, going once! Going twice!" He called out as he scanned the crowd for another bidder while I held my breath anxiously. "Sold to the young lady over there in the yellow shirt." He said pointing to me. "Congratulations. Please see my associate about payment and move details."

I nodded as I headed to the side table where the other auction workers were collecting money for the items already auctioned and bought. "Congratulations on the house, she is a beauty." One of the workers, a lady probably in her late forty's, said as she handed me a clipboard to fill in some information. "Just fill this out and we'll get the deed transfer started as soon as the money clears the banks but you don't need that to have the house relocated, just our bill of sale will do." She explained as I looked at the paperwork she had handed me.

"Thanks, I knew as soon as I pulled up here that this house was destined to be mine." I told her as I started filling out the paperwork. "I also have lots 7, 13, 28, 41, and 59."

The woman nodded to me as she punched some numbers into the calculator. "That comes to a grand total of forty-four-thousand-one hundred-fifty-six dollars." She says as she took the clipboard from my hands. "You have twelve days to have the house removed from the property or it will be torn down. The house moving company's information is in here too, the auction house works with them on all estate auctions. Any other items need to be removed promptly or other arrangements made." She explained with a grimace on her face. "I hate saying that part." She whispered to me. "How are you paying for these items?" She asked softly.

I smiled at her as I handed her my bank card and driver's license. "The plastic way." I said with a chuckle. Not many people knew about the money I won in the battle with the University of Georgia but the money simply sat in the bank gaining interest until I needed to make big purchases. Otherwise I used the checking account I had been using since I was a junior in high school.

She swiped my card and within five minutes I was almost forty-five THOUSAND dollars poorer but the proud owner of a beautiful old house that I now had to figure out how to get it moved to my five acres without falling completely apart. For an extra two-hundred dollars the auction employees agreed to set all my purchases inside the house since I had no way to haul the big items home. I signed a piece of paper relinquishing them of any liability in case something happened to the items until I could get back to haul them home.

With that done I hopped in my SUV to head home, giddy that I had actually won the beautiful yet giant house.

It was less than 10 minutes to home but I looked at the drive in a whole new way now that I was going to be moving a two story almost 130 year old house along this same route. My excitement had lessened some as the worry began to set in but when I pulled into the drive it came back when I saw my parents and children sitting on the front porch. Quickly turning my car off I hopped and raced up to the porch. "I got it!" I told my parents as I knelt down to hug and kiss on my babies.

"That's great, Bethie. I guess it's a good thing Abraham has been so busy that he hasn't gotten started on your house plans yet." My dad said somberly.

Looking at him I saw the worry on his face. "The house is magnificent, Daddy. And I got for a fraction of what building a new house would have cost me. And the thing is massive and old and beautiful." I gushed as I pulled out my phone to show them the pictures I had taken earlier. Later that evening as I sat in the chair in the corner of my bedroom just looking out the window at the night sky my dad knocked on the doorframe. "Hey Daddy." I whispered to him with a smile.

"The kids asleep?" He asked as he came into the room, taking a seat on the foot of my bed.

I nodded. "Yeah, they went down shortly after their bath. Everything okay?" I asked cautiously.

He chuckled and nodded. "Everything is fine. I was just coming to talk to you about the farm hands."

Sitting up straighter in my chair I raised an eyebrow at my dad. "What about them?"

"Otis mentioned this afternoon that the guys were making comments that they wasn't taking orders from a girl." As I opened my mouth to say something he held his hand up and shook his head. "Otis set them straight but he wanted me to tell you that you may have some issues with them come Monday since they are used to it just being them and Otis."

With a huff I sat back in my chair. "If they don't want to take orders from me directly then they can hit the road and not come back." I said firmly.

My dad chuckled and smiled at me. "Otis and I knew you would say that, which is why he advised them to keep their traps shut come Monday and just say 'Yes ma'am' every time you asked them to do something."

"That'll be the smart thing to do because if it wasn't for me working on Saturday's, Sunday's, and every school break these past two years they wouldn't have been having all that time off." I told him with a sweet smile on my face. "Plus, I may not need them soon enough if everything goes according to plan."

Dad raised an eyebrow at me and inquired. "What do you mean you may not need them? Bethie, you amaze me at how much you get accomplished but you can't run this farm by yourself."

I shook my head. "I'm not going to but I have a plan to allow high school and college students to volunteer and intern here in return for academic credits. Once I graduate, I plan to set up meetings with several local high schools as well as a few universities."

"Like I said, amazing. Want to explain to me why your momma tells me I may want to enjoy my new tractor while I still have it?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

Plastering the sweetest and most innocent smile I could muster on my face I began to explain. "Starting next spring I want to use only horses and horse drawn equipment on the fields. Which means I won't have any use for the tractors or large equipment anymore so I plan to sell them to offset the cost of purchasing several more work horses and horse drawn equipment."

"What's wrong with using tractors and modern equipment? It is made for a reason." He argued.

I shook my head. "Just because it's convenient and easier doesn't mean it's the best way. Our fuel costs are outrageous and so is our mechanic repair bill. Horse only require minimal maintenance and they reproduce their own replacements. You can keep your one personal tractor but I want it kept off the fields."

"You know how much we've paid for all of that equipment? You won't ever get all that money back, Bethie." He continued to argue.

Shrugging my shoulders. "It's fine. I've already had the equipment appraised and I will actually get back 83% of what you paid for them. And I've got my eye on some amazing work horses that are just about ready to be released for work duty."

My dad's eyes got big as he sighed and nodded in resignation. "I gave the farm to you because you have the passion for it and a vision of the future and I'm not going to start questioning you about it now. You do whatever you want to with whatever you want to. This place is yours to do what you want with, except sell or lease the land."

I laughed. "I would never sell or lease our land, buy some more maybe, but never sell."

"130 acres ain't enough for you?" He teased.

I shrugged. "Don't know. I've got big plans that require lots of land, including a four-acre vegetable garden, 2-acre fruit orchard, and a 1-acre herb garden." I said with a bright smile.

"Wow." Dad said with a shake of his head. "And just what are your plans with all of that food?"

"You are the first person to ask me that!" I said excitedly as I adjusted myself in my chair to face my father fully. "I plan to sell some of the produce at the farmer's market in Atlanta but the majority will hopefully go to local restaurants and stores. That's not going to happen until next year though I will spend this year marketing for it."

With tears in his eyes my dad walked over to me and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "Absolutely amazing, Bethie. Don't ever let anybody dull your shine, sweetheart."

I nodded. "I won't, Daddy. Are you sure everything is okay?" I asked him as my phone dinged from where it laid on my nightstand charging.

"Everything is fine. Just planning to enjoy my retirement and I can do that if I know each of my children are doing what they love and are successful at it." He said as he squeezed my shoulder. "Love you, Bethie. Goodnight."

"Love you too, Daddy. Goodnight." I called out to him as he left my room while I went to check my phone for the message that just came through.

_How'd the auction go?_

_My bank account is crying but I am now the proud owner of a 128-year-old mansion that has to be moved 9 miles to the farm._

_Congrats on the new house. I'm sure the pictures don't do it justice at all._

_Thanks, they really don't show how magnificent the place is. You still coming in the morning?_

_Yep. Dog and I will be there early in the morning._

_Okay, see you then. Get some rest, Dixon._

_Night Greene._

The next morning I got ready for work quickly in a pair of old blue jeans, a t-shirt that was a few sizes too big knotted at my lower back, long hair tossed messily onto the top of my head, and boots on my feet. I quietly crept into the babies room to give each baby a rub on their backs before heading downstairs where my mom had a pot of coffee waiting for me. When I moved into my own place I would definitely have to invest in a coffee pot with a timer on it. Without a word my mom handed me a cup of the rich goodness. I took a sip and sighed immediately as I melted onto one of the bar stools, setting the baby monitor down with a grunt. "Good morning, mama." I told her softly.

She smiled at me as she sipped her own cup of coffee. "Good morning, sweetheart. When is Daryl supposed to be here?"

"Soon." I mumbled as I blew onto the hot coffee in my hands. "He scares me." I mumbled, halfway hoping my mom wouldn't hear me but desperately needing to talk to someone about this situation with Daryl. For the first time since I was violated at that frat party two and a half years ago I felt something other than bad feelings towards a guy that wasn't family.

My mom sat on the bar stool next to me, patting me on the arm. "The good ones always scare us at first. He's a good man, Bethie."

I nodded in agreement. "He is. But he's older and he don't know my whole story."

"Honey, your college tragedy absolutely does not define who you are as a person. And any man, woman, or child who thinks differently can go kiss a toad." She said as she sipped her own cup of coffee, acting like she hadn't just gone all mama bear on me. Before I could respond a set of headlights danced across the walls letting me know that Daryl had just arrived. "See you two at breakfast!" Mom said cheerfully as she hopped off the stool, grabbing the baby monitor and heading out of the kitchen.

With a grumble I quickly finished off my cup of coffee, rinsed it out before setting it in the sink, grabbing two granola bars, and heading out the kitchen door to greet Daryl and Dog. "Morning." I told Daryl as Dog trotted over to me with a soft 'whoof' in my direction. "Hey boy. Are you ready to do some work today so we can splash and play this afternoon?" I asked him as I knelt down so I was face to face with him.

The dog gave another soft 'whoof' before nudging my hand with his head causing me to chuckle as I scratched his head between his ears. "Maybe I should take him with me more often if he reals in folks like this."

Giving Dog one last head scratch I stood up to look at Daryl. "He's a charmer, for sure, but you're not so bad yourself."

"Me? I'm just a rough and tumble old country-boy trying to do right." Daryl argued as he motioned towards the barn. "We starting in the barn first?"

I nodded as I began the trek towards the barn. "Yep. My sister comes to pick up the twins at ten o'clock so I would like to be finished by then so we can leave."

"Yes ma'am." Daryl said, mock saluting me as he fell into step next to me.

Rolling my eyes at him I remained silent as we neared the barn.

**DARYL**

By the time I heard the breakfast bell ring out I was more than ready for a break. Hard work was nothing unusual for me but it quickly became apparent that Beth had taken it easy on me the last time I was on the farm. "Come on, old man, time for breakfast." Beth said with a chuckle as she fastened the gate to the pasture we had just herded the goats into.

"I'm coming." I told her as I fell into step beside her as we headed for the house.

She giggled as looked over at me. "Not used to farm work?"

"Not at all but butchering animals isn't exactly light work either, Greene. It just doesn't involve chasing goats or wrestling pigs." I grumbled as I rolled my eyes. "Maybe you should come help me butcher a cow one day and lets see who is the one complaining at the end of the day."

With a shake of her head she smiled at me. "I'm good on that part, thanks though."

I just laughed as her phone rang from her back pocket. With a hand to my elbow she stopped me in my tracks. "Hold up for a second while I take this." She said before swiping across her screen to answer the call. "Hello?" She paused for a second before she looked at me curiously. "I should be able to make it this afternoon to discuss moving the house." At her raised eyebrow, because we were spending the afternoon together, I shrugged and nodded. "1 o'clock, okay for you?"…. "Great! I'll see you then." She said before hanging up the phone with a bright smile on her face.

"The moving company?" I asked with a smirk on my face.

"Yes!" She said excitedly as she did a little dance right there in the middle of the dirt path that led from the barn to the house. "They want to start getting the beams under the house Monday so she can get on the road by Wednesday morning. I'm so excited!" She exclaimed. "Do you wanna go see the house with me? Before we go swimming in your creek?"

I shrugged. "Sure, sounds like fun. And who said anything about me joining you in the creek? That was supposed to be all you and Dog." I told her as I started walking towards the house and breakfast again.

"You're not gonna join us in the watery fun?" She asked as she reached over to poke me playfully in the side causing me to jerk away from her because I was super ticklish on my ribs. "Oh, ticklish, are you?"

I simply grunted as I wrapped my hands around my waist to protect my sides from her wagging finger. "Maybe a little." I grumbled sullenly.

Smirking at me she quickly sent several jabs in my direction causing me to squirm and grab for her hands. To effectively stop her tickle assault I spun her around, wrapping my arms around her waist, enclosing her wrists in my hands. "That's enough of that, Greene."

When she didn't send a smartass comment back I quickly scanned her body language. Stiff back, quickened breathing, hands gripped in tight fists. "Beth?" I questioned as I slowly loosened my arms to turn her around to face me with my hands held loosely at her elbows. "You okay?" I asked hesitantly as I searched her face for a sign but instead she just started trembling beneath my light grip on her elbows. "Hey, it's just me, Daryl. We're on the farm. Take a deep breath." I rattled as I rubbed my thumbs across the skin of her elbows to give her something to focus on. She followed my instructions and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. I watched her face and saw her grimace before looking up and meeting my eyes, actually seeing me now instead of someone else. "You better?" I asked hesitantly as I released her elbows and took a small step backwards to give her a little space.

She nodded. "Sorry, that hasn't happened in a while." She muttered before hanging her head. "You must think I'm a freak show who can't even handle goofing around."

Putting a finger under her chin I lifted her face so I could look her in the eyes. "Not at all. I recognized the signs from my own traumatic past. It took me years where I didn't jump or my heart didn't feel like it was going to beat out of my chest at certain noises. I don't know for certain what happened to you but hopefully you will trust me enough to tell me eventually."

She nodded as she stepped forward to press her forehead against my chest. "I'm sorry I freaked out on you. I didn't hit you did I?" She whispered as I slid my hands from her elbows up to her shoulders, wrapping my arms loosely around her shoulders.

"No, just froze in place. Is this okay?" I whispered against her ear.

Wrapping her arms around my waist she nodded before turning her head to press her ear against the middle of my chest. "It is." She mumbled as she pressed her palms flat against my back, running her palms along the raised skin of my scars. "We'll talk later, is that okay?"

I nodded as I squeezed her quickly before releasing her. "No rush, Beth, whenever you are ready to talk I'll be ready to listen. Now how about you go get some lovin' from two tiny humans and then we'll eat the breakfast your momma fixed for us?"

She ran hands over her face and nodded. "Yep, sounds like a plan. What are you waiting on, Dixon?" Beth chirped as she walked a few feet ahead of me. "Let's go!" She called quickly as she took off towards the house at a jog with Dog barking at her as he playfully chased her to the house. I followed behind them with a smile on my face.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Beth**

Unbuckling Aiden from his high chair, I looked over at Daryl who was stacking my plate on top of his and jokingly asked "Wanna help?" Aiden, my sweet boy had strawberries and maple syrup from head to toe and was in desperate need of a bath before Maggie got here. His sister wasn't much better but she had strawberry jam and whipped topping instead of syrup.

He smirked at me and stood up. "Sure." He said, the nervousness obvious in his voice.

Chuckling at him I placed a sticky and smiling Aiden into his hands. "Don't be scared, he won't break as long as you don't drop him." I told him as I moved his hands to make Aiden more secure and comfortable in Daryl's arms. Aiden resting his back against Daryl's chest with one hand under bottom and the other arm around his stomach. "Be a good boy for Momma's friend, okay?" I told my boy as I pressed a quick kiss to his nose. Daryl needed to get used to being around my kids if he was going to continue pursuing me because I was a mother of two and the three of us came as a packaged deal. "You good?" I asked Daryl as I looked up into his face while my parents watched from their seats with amused looks on their faces.

Daryl nodded and hummed causing Aiden to twist his head to look up at Daryl. "Dog?" He asked Daryl, giving me an opportunity to get my sweet girl from her highchair.

"He's outside, bud. Your momma said he had to stay outside." Daryl told Aiden as I unfastened a messy Aurora from her seat.

Aurora giggled at me when I plucked a piece of strawberry from her shoulder. "Messy girl. Y'all ready for a bath then shopping and play time with Aunt Maggie?" I asked them as I pulled Aurora into my arms, mindful of the mess she was covered in.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" The chanted as I led Daryl through the house, up the stairs, and into the bathroom I shared with my kids.

With one hand I turned the water on, adjusting the temperature, and putting the plug into the drain before sitting on the side of the tub to strip my sweet daughter. "Mama?" She whispered to me as I unfastened her onesie.

"Yeah baby?" I asked as I tugged her socks off her feet.

She pointed to Daryl who was standing in the doorway with a content Aiden. "Bubba too?" She asked as I tugged her outfit over her head, ruffling her red curls.

"Yes ma'am, bubba is going in with you." I told her as I tugged her diaper off and put her in the bath water. She immediately grabbed for the toys in the basket I had suction cupped to the wall. "Come here, big boy." I told Aiden as I noticed the distressed look on his face at Aiden's wiggling around in his eagerness to join his sister in the tub. "It's okay, Daryl, you can put him down." I told him with a slight chuckle.

Daryl carefully placed Aiden on the floor where my boy took off towards me as soon as his sock clad feet touched the tile floor. "I've never been around kids." He mumbled as he leaned against the doorjamb.

Quickly stripping Aiden's clothes and diaper off he attempted to climb over the side of the tub to join his sister in the water. "Chill out, little boy, before you bump your chin again." I told him as I picked him up, putting him in the water next to his sister before grabbing the thick bath towel and tuck it up against the tub to catch the water they would undoubtedly splash out of the tub within just a few minutes. "Daryl, I hate to tell you this, but it's pretty obvious that you've never held a small child before today. And mine are almost two years old." I teased as I knelt on the floor to scrub my kids clean quickly so they could play for a few minutes before it was time to get out and dressed for their visit with Aunt Maggie.

"Does that bother you?" He asked as he watched me as I began the process of wetting Aurora and Aiden's hair.

I shook my head as I squirted a bit of their baby shampoo into the palm of my hand. "Not at all because when I turned 12 years old I began babysitting the little kids of the community and working in the church nursery and I was still lost when these two were born." I explained as I scrubbed the food out of the kids hair. "I just want you to be comfortable with them and around them."

"Of course and I will be the more I'm around them. I know that the three of y'all come together." He said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You being a mother doesn't bother me one bit, Beth."

I hummed as I rinsed the soap from Aiden's head, causing him to gasp and giggle as the water poured over his face. "I hope not. Can you hand me their toothbrushes from the cup holder on the sink?" I asked pointing to the silver holder sitting next to the sink with two tiny toothbrushes and my bigger one in it.

"Toothpaste too?" He asked as he grabbed the two tiny brushes.

"Just put a tiny dab on each brush please." I explained as I soaped up one of their wash cloths, rubbing it all over their bodies, having them stand up one at a time so I could wash their bottoms and legs.

Daryl waited until I had Aurora sat back in the water to hand me the toothbrushes, one at a time. Working together we quickly finished their baths but instead of handing him Aiden, I handed him Aurora instead. "She's smaller than Aiden and not as rambunctious so you don't have to hold her as tightly." I explained as I positioned a towel clad Aurora in his arms, chest to chest.

"Okay." He whispered as he looked down at my wide eyed baby girl. "Hey, pretty girl. You don't know what to think about me, huh?" He asked her as he adjusted his hold on her to be more comfortable and natural.

The sight brought a smile to my face as I pulled the plug on the bathtub causing Aiden to frown up at me. "Put the toys in the basket, Aiden. We've got to get ready for Aunt Maggie." I told him as I grabbed his frog towel from his hook on the wall.

Begrudgingly, Aiden put the bath toys back into the basket before holding his arms up for me to scoop him out of the tub. Daryl and I carried my little frog and duck into the nursery to finish getting them ready for their day of fun. "Can you watch them for a few minutes while I run across the hall and get ready? That way we can leave right after they do." I asked nervously as I tied the strings of Aiden's shoes.

"You sure?" He asked nervously as he glanced to Aurora who was playing on the rug in the middle of the floor with some blocks.

I nodded as I placed Aiden into the floor next to his sister. "I'm sure. I'll only be five maybe ten minutes. Just keep them in this room and you'll be fine." She said as she pointed to the basket of toys that Aiden was digging through. "They should play the entire time. Trust me, they don't bite. You good?" I asked him as I slid the baby gate into place more so for Daryl's peace of mind than the safety of the kids since Aiden had mastered climbing over them a few weeks ago.

Daryl looked at me with wide eyes but nodded anyways as he glanced between me and the two toddlers playing at his feet. "We're good. But hurry." He told me as he gulped loudly.

With a giggle I walked down the hallway to my bedroom, stepping inside and closing the door behind me so I could change clothes that would be appropriate to meet the house movers but also an afternoon of splashing in a creek with a giant dog. I had changed into the only bathing suit I owned which was a modest tie-dye two-piece that I had owned long before I ever got pregnant and hadn't been brave enough to pull out since giving birth. Since we had other plans before the fun of splashing in the creek I tugged on a pair of shorts that ended mid-thigh and a simple bright yellow t-shirt over my bathing suit.

Half an hour later I was climbing in Daryl's truck next to Dog who had refused to move from the passenger seat leaving only the middle spot available for me to sit. "You sure this is okay? I can make him move." Daryl asked once again as he climbed in next to me on the bench seat, our thighs touching. His jean clad thigh rough against my bare one.

"It's fine. That's his spot and who am I to make him move?" I teased I reached over to scratch between Dog's ears as he pressed his nose to the window as Daryl brought the truck to life, the cool air quickly pouring from the vents to cool us all off.

"You're the human and he's a dog." Daryl huffed as he pulled out of my driveway.

I shook my head. "Maybe so but this is his human's truck and I'm just an invited guest on this journey today. But I swear, he's fine and so am I." I reassured Daryl as he turned out my driveway.

"How far does y'all's land go?" He asked as we rode slowly down the gravel road that needed grading soon.

As he drove us slowly towards the highway I pointed out all of our acreage as well as the spot where my house was going to be moved to next week. I also told him about my future plans which included buying my neighbors acreage once they retired in a few years to expand our farm even more. The Jameson's to the south of out property had one of the most profitable flower farms in the state and rumors had it that their children wasn't interested in taking over the business. So I had plans to go visit them soon and see what we could work out that would be satisfying to both of us in their retirement. The Henson's lived on the backside of our property and had 100 acres that was used as an animal rescue as well as a donkey and mule farm. I didn't want some strangers moving in around my family's farm and possibly destroying everything I'm working so hard to create. "Do you think I'm crazy?" I asked Daryl as we turned onto the highway headed for town.

"Not at all. I think you just have a big imagination and the determination to make anything possible." He said as he placed a hand on my knee, squeezing gently. "When I was your age I was just lost in the world."

Placing my hand over his on my knee I squeezed it gently. "I understand. I've been lost too. I spent my whole pregnancy being lost and angry but that all changed when I met the sweet faces of my babies."

"I can't imagine you being lost, you seem so in control of your life. And know exactly what you want and work hard to get it." Daryl complimented as he ran the pad of his across my knee gently.

Taking a deep breath, I stared out the windshield as I muttered my truth into the cab of the truck. "I've been focused, knew what I wanted from life, and worked hard to get there. But I got derailed from my focus when my first college party resulted in my kids. Being the youngest sibling to Shawn and Maggie meant that I was subjected to not only the parental talks when I was preparing to leave for college but also talks from Shawn and Maggie. I wasn't a party girl by nature but my siblings had warned me about how college guys would take advantage of a naïve little farm girl like me. My roommate begged me to let loose and attend a party with her my junior year. So I did and my kids are the result of some douchebag drugging a cup I never let out of my sight. I have absolutely no clue who their father is and after the way they were conceived I don't want to know." Heaving a heavy sigh I take a chance and look at Daryl to see his reaction to my story. His free hand was clenched on the steering wheel, the one on my leg had long stopped the soothing motions but remained gently on my knee, his jaw kept clenching and clenching which meant he was angry. But why? "You can take me back home if it's too much for you. Our business arrangement won't be affected at all." I whispered as tears sprang to my eyes.

Instead of speaking he quickly pulled the truck to the side of the road and leapt from the truck almost before it was fully in park. I just hung my head as Daryl paced back and forth in front of the truck, mumbling to himself before sliding his hands through his longish hair, gripping chunks of it in his fists before walking back to the truck and opening the door. "Sorry."

Shaking my head, I felt the tears stream down my cheeks. I was so hopeful that this would work out that his rejection hurt deep in my chest. I had protected myself and my kids for so long that I felt like it was okay to finally open my heart and life to someone else but this was a failure of epic proportions. "I promise it's fine. You can just take me back home and we'll pretend like this never happened, Daryl. No need for explanations."

"Beth, no." He told me as he motioned for me to slide towards him on the bench seat. "Com'ere."

I shook my head stubbornly as I leaned towards Dog who was watching us curiously with his ears perched high on his head. "I don't want or need your pity, Daryl. Please don't put me out here, you can drop me at my driveway." I whispered as a sob ripped out of my chest causing me to bend over until my forehead rested on my knees with my arms wrapped around my stomach. Dog whined next to me as he nudged my shoulder in worry and curiosity.

"Ya got it wrong, baby. Com'ere. Please." He whispered as he reached across the seat to rub my back. At his continued urging and pleading I rolled my head to look at him through red watery eyes. "Please stop cryin'." He whispered as his fingers swiped away my tear tracks, his southern roots shining in his voice. "Please com'ere." He pleaded some more.

Taking a deep breath I raised up and scooted over until I was positioned under the steering wheel. "Daryl, don't make this any harder or more awkward than it has to be. Please." I whisper as I slide my hands over the steering wheel, concentrating on feeling each and ever little bump on the back side.

"I'm not going anywhere, Beth. I just needed a moment to breathe and get myself back under control. Your story was heart wrenching and overwhelming because it brings back a lot of bad memories for me. I'm so sorry ya thought I wanted this to end." He whispers as he tugs one of my hands from the steering wheel. "I had high hopes for this date." He said cockily. When I turned my head to actually look at him a smirk slowly appeared on his face. "Was hoping to work up the courage to ask you for a kiss and a second date at the end of the night. Is that still possible? Or do you wanna go home? Choice is yours."

Pulling my hand from his I placed it on the stubble of his cheek and stroked the apple of his cheek as his head turned slightly into my hand. "I'll stay. And if you're lucky I'll make the kiss worth putting up with my emotional bull crap."

"It's not bull crap, Beth. It's your reality. You will see my emotional side when my brother gets released from prison in a few months." He warned me as he tugged my knees to turn me sideways in the seat so that my legs spread to rest against the sides of his as he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a comforting hug. "You scare me, Beth Greene." Daryl whispered into my hair as I laid my head on his chest and wrapped my arms around his waist.

I nodded because he scared the living daylights out of me too. After a few minutes of soaking up his comforting hug I pulled back and suggested we better get on with our day since we had places to go, people to see, and things to do.

As he pulled into the not yet finished driveway of the country store and butcher shop I was immediately impressed. Walking through the entire place listening to Daryl explain the process of getting the meat from my fields to our tables I was blown away. He was just as passionate about butchery as I was about my farm. When we were finished with the tour we settled into the rockers on the front porch of the storefront with two cold sodas. "My dream and hope is that my brother will want to join me in the butchery business and eventually run and operate a second location in a few years." He whispered to me as he looked down at his boots.

"You think he will want to be part of this? My siblings don't want anything to do with the farm." I told him as I took a sip of my soda as Dog settled between our rocking chairs with a groan. He had been roaming the property since jumping from the truck when we arrived since he wasn't allowed inside the buildings.

Daryl shrugged. "Who knows with Merle. He may not stick around once he gets out. He's been in and out of jail and prison since he was 18. I hope he's ready for a change and for once he actually didn't crack a joke or poke fun when I told him of my plans for all of this. He seemed impressed so hopefully that is a good omen for his future. I've told him in my letters that there is a job waiting for him here when he gets released and a room in my house for him if he wants it." He said with a heavy sigh and slumped shoulders.

"You can't force him to change if he doesn't truly want to. All you, and I if this is still happening, can do is be there to offer him the opportunities to better himself. If he doesn't want to work here in the butcher shop or store front, then maybe he could come work out at the farm." I suggested with a supportive smile on my face.

He jerked his head up to look at me with wide eyes and a slack jaw. "You wouldn't be scared to have a felon work with you on the farm?"

"Would he hurt me or my family? Steal from us?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Absolutely not. That's not Merle. He's not dangerous to anybody but himself. He's just a jerk and an idiot without a filter." Daryl muttered with a shake of his head.

I smiled at him. "Manual farm labor has a way of making idiots with slack jaws and manners so tired they're too wore out to do or say anything stupid at the end of the day. Have I mentioned that I'm selling all of my dad's farming equipment and implementing horse drawn equipment instead?" I mentioned as I smugly took a sip of my drink.

"You really are a glutton for punishment aren't you? Isn't modern equipment used to make farming easier and quicker?" Daryl asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. "Quicker and easier is what's polluting the earth that my children are growing up in. We can still get the job done just without polluting the air we are breathing in the process."

Daryl simply smiled and nodded as he finished off his soda. "You ready to go see your house again and meet the movers?"

Jumping up out of the rocker I did a giddy little dance right there on the porch while Daryl chuckled. "Yes!"

**DARYL**

Following Beth's directions, I drove us to where her house was currently located. "That's a huge house, Beth." I told her as I parked beside two other trucks in the dirt and grass driveway.

Beth nodded with a huge smile on her face. "Yep, over four thousand square feet if the side addition makes the trip." She said as she nudged me to hurry up and get out of the truck so she could be released from her confinement. "Isn't she beautiful?" She asked excitedly as she led me and Dog towards the house where an older gentleman was standing with a clipboard in his hands and a hardhat on his head while a crew of other guys worked on removing what I'm sure were once very substantial brick chimneys.

"How you know it's a girl?" I teased as I paused beside her as she suddenly stopped to just stare at the house.

"It's definitely a girl. Is it silly that I'm nervous?" She whispered, wringing her hands nervously in front of her.

Shaking my head I tugged one of her hands free, interlacing my fingers between her damp ones. "Not at all. This is a big moment for you. Just wait until she starts moving down the highway." I teased as I nudged her to motion towards the guy that was slowly making his way towards where we stood. "Here comes that guy." I muttered uselessly. "At least he looks like he knows what he's doing."

My smart comment got me an elbow in the ribs just as the older gentleman spoke up to her. "Beth?"

Beth nodded, extending a hand towards him as Dog sat on the ground practically on top of her foot to offer his support and protection. "Yes sir. This is Daryl and Dog." She said introducing us with and eye roll at Dog's unoriginal name.

"My name is Thomas Irons, it's nice to meet all of you." He said as he shook Beth's hand before extending it in my direction. "We've been here since sunrise working on dismantling the brick chimney's Shall we take a walk around the house so you can see the progress?

"How's she doing?" Beth asked as her eyes scanned the house from one end to the other.

Thomas smiled and motioned towards the house. "No trouble out of her yet." He joked as he led the way towards the house. "All five chimney's will be completely dismantled by end of day tomorrow." He explained as we walked slowly around the house where the bricks were being taken down and stacked in fairly neat squares. "Any questions or concerns so far?" He asked as we made our way back to the front porch.

"What about the porches? Can you save any of them?" She asked as she pointed to the wood trim details that decked out the front porch.

Thomas pointed to the boards beneath our feet. "This frame is too soft to make the trip but we can use angle braces to support the roof of the porch and attempt to save some of the details of the home but I make no promises that it will survive the trip but I will try." He said with a kind smile. "Shall we head inside?"

"Yes, please!" Beth said excitedly.

Beth was a bundle of energy and excitement by the time we climbed back in the truck to head to my house for some fun and food. I just chuckled and smirked as she rattled ninety to nothing about her plans for the house because honestly it was a lot. But in a good way. I was thoroughly impressed with not only her plans but also her knowledge. "Where did you learn all of this stuff at?" I asked when she finally took a deep breath, settling against my side with her head resting on my shoulder.

"My dad and Otis but mainly Otis. When I was a kid, Patricia bugged Otis to do little projects on their house and he would wrangle me into helping him. For a few years I though maybe I wanted to be a designer or architect or something but the farm has always been my comfort place and ultimately my dream. I want to carry on the legacy of our farm so my children can have something to be proud of when they're older." She explained as she wrapped her hands around my arm, sliding her fingers down until they intertwined with mine. "I'm sure you think I'm crazy for everything I have going on in my life." She whispered softly.

I nodded. "Maybe a little crazy but at least you know what you want and are going after it. And I like that about you. Just make a little room in your life for me and you'll hear no complaints from me or Dog."

She giggled but no words were spoken as we settled into a comfortable silence as I drove the now familiar roads that led to my house on the outskirts of town, about fifteen or so miles from Beth's house. As I pulled into my driveway, Dog let out a low bark as he stood up in the seat wagging his tail. "Someone knows this is home." Beth chuckled as she scratched Dog's head.

"He'll head straight for the creek. I don't know why but every time we pull up after being gone for hours he beelines for the creek to splash and romp for a bit before settling down." I explained as I pulled the truck into the garage next to my motorcycle. As soon as I turned the key off Dog began whining and squirming in his seat, anxious to get out and run around. "Hold on, boy. Ladies first." I told him firmly as I opened my door, climbing out before extending a hand in for Beth to grip as she climbed from the truck. "It's still a work in progress but it's home for us." I told her as she scooted out of the truck as Dog playfully nudged her from behind.

Beth chuckled as she slid from the truck and out of Dog's way as he bound from the truck, taking off for the creek at full speed and deep bark. "Everything in my life is a work in progress, Daryl, so how about a tour before fun and food?"

With a quick nod, I grabbed her hand and led her through the garage door into my kitchen.


End file.
